Foreign Minister: G20 Is Not A Political Debate Forum

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi emphasized that the forum of the world's 20 largest economies (Group of Twenty/G20) is not a forum for political debate, but rather for joint efforts related to the economy and development.

"Indeed, the G20 is not really a forum for political debate, it is a financial forum, an economic forum, a development forum," said the Foreign Minister in a special interview with ANTARA at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta, Thursday, October 13.

Ahead of the G20 summit which will be held on the island of Bali in November, the Foreign Minister said that considering the current world situation, especially the war in Ukraine, perhaps discussions related to geopolitical conditions will not be avoided in the future.

The reason is that the war in Ukraine has had an impact on global food and energy supplies, so the discussion related to this is confirmed by the Foreign Minister that will be part of the G20 summit later.

"Once again, between geopolitics and the economy, to build a steel wall that will not be penetrated is impossible, it will definitely shatter," she said.

Although talks that spread to other areas may be unavoidable, Retno said that Indonesia must be able to manage the atmosphere so that geopolitical discussions do not damage the focus and priorities of the presidency at the G20.

“We must focus on showing responsibility as leaders of big countries. The G20 is a collection of big countries […] meaning that our responsibility is big too, not only for us but for the world,” she said.

Indonesia's presidency at the G20 in 2022 brings up three priority issues, namely the global health architecture, digital transformation, and the transition to renewable energy.

The G20 Summit will be held on the island of Bali on November 15-16, where Indonesia has officially invited the leaders of G20 member countries and organizations.