Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will attend the G20 summit in Bali in November. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who hosts the Indonesian president, told Bloomberg News on Thursday: “Xi Jinping will come. President Putin also told me he will come.” There are no confirmations for the travel plans yet, but Vidodo also invited Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Indonesian president is trying to mediate between the warring countries and has met heads of state from Ukraine and Russia. This week, Widodo said both countries have accepted Indonesia as a “bridge of peace.” There is a possibility that Putin and Zelenskyy will be on the summit together.
In June, the Ukrainian president said his participation would depend on the security situation in his country and “other participants”, without naming names. Zelenskyi adviser Mykhailo Podoliak recently told the BBC that if Putin attends the summit in Bali, “we need to think about the need for our presence.”
Participation in doubt because of Putin
However, several states have questioned their participation should Putin appear in person. President Joko Widodo faced pressure from Western countries to withdraw his invitation to Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Indonesia chairs the group of the 20 largest industrialized and emerging countries.
Tensions between the US and China had recently flared up following the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. It was the highest visit from the United States in a quarter of a century. Shortly thereafter, another delegation from the United States Congress traveled to Taipei. Beijing spoke of “provocations”. In response, Beijing began large-scale maneuvers around the island’s democratic republic. Beijing threatens to take over the island, which has 23 million inhabitants.
“Indonesia wants to be friends with everyone”
Widodo continued in the Bloomberg interview that the rivalry between the major countries is indeed worrying. “We want this region to be stable and peaceful so that we can build economic growth. And I don’t think just Indonesia: Asian countries want the same.” Indonesia is aiming for trade and investment that will boost growth, Widodo said, adding that the country does not want to join any bloc. “Indonesia wants to be friends with everyone,” he said. “We have no problems with any country.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
