A Number Of Western Ministers Threaten To Walk Out If Russia Attends, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs: As The G20 Presidency, Indonesia Cannot Force It

G20 summit in Rome, Italy last year. (Wikimedia Commons/www.g20.org)

JAKARTA - Indonesia will try to make the work program and agenda of the G20 discussion run as expected, when a number of Western finance ministers threatened to walk out at the finance ministerial level meeting, if Russia attended.

A number of ministers from Western countries will take a walk-out action, as a form of protest against Russia's presence at the G20 finance ministers meeting in Washington, United States this Wednesday.

Asked about the stance that a number of Western finance ministers would take, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, said that it was Indonesia's job to ensure that the work program and agenda of the G20 discussions were running.

"As the Presidency, it is Indonesia's duty to ensure that the work program and agenda of the G20 discussions run as expected," he told VOI as confirmed on Wednesday, April 20.

"How member countries will behave at each G20 meeting will depend on their respective positions," he continued.

Despite occupying the G20 Presidency this year, Teuku Faizasyah said Indonesia cannot impose a country's choice of attitude.

"As the Presidency, Indonesia cannot force a single country's choice of attitude," he said.

"Indonesia as the G20 Presidency in 2022 will try as much as possible, so that the G20 can still achieve its mission, in accordance with the background of the formation of this forum," he said.

As previously reported, a number of ministers from Western countries will take a walk-out action, as a form of protest against Russia's presence at the G20 finance ministers meeting in Washington, United States this Wednesday.

Moscow confirmed on Tuesday Finance Minister Anton Siluanov would lead the Russian delegation at the talks, despite repeated protests by Western diplomats. This is related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 24.

"During and after the meeting we will definitely send a strong message and we will not be alone in doing so," said a German government source, accusing Russia of starting a conflict that has also sent world food and energy prices soaring.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to avoid the G20 session with Russian officials on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting.

But Yellen will attend the opening session on the Ukraine war regardless of Russia's participation, a US Treasury official said.

The UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak will also not attend certain G20 sessions, a UK government source said. Even so, an official of the French Ministry of Finance assessed several ministers from the Group of Seven countries to leave their seats, when their Russian counterparts were about to speak.