The Russian president will take part in November’s summit in Indonesia, but not necessarily in person, the Foreign Ministry says
Vladimir Putin meets Joko Widodo in Moscow. ©Kremlin press service
Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to participate in the upcoming summit of G20 leaders in Indonesia, but how he does so will depend on the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated on Wednesday.
A statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry said it received an invitation from Indonesia addressed to Putin, and sent preliminary confirmation that he will take part in the gathering in Bali.
“The format of his participation is subject to clarification depending on the development of the situation in the world and the sanitary-epidemiological environment in Southeastern Asia,” the ministry added.
Last week, the Italian prime minister claimed that the office of Indonesian President Joko Widodo ruled out Putin’s attendance. “President Widodo excludes it. He was categorical: He’s not coming,” Draghi said, suggesting that the Russian leader would join via videolink instead.
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Russia responded to the remark, stating that it’s not up to Italy to decide on how the summit is organized.
Western nations have been pushing to isolate Russia diplomatically since it attacked Ukraine in late February. At international events, officials representing the US and its allies have tended to shun their Russian counterparts.
The G20 summit is perceived by many political observers as a challenge for Western leaders, considering that Russia is a member of the economic forum. Many other members of the group, including China and India, have refused to join the US-led anti-Russian campaign, and some have openly criticized America’s policies regarding Ukraine.
Widodo visited Russia last Thursday to meet with Putin.
