If Putin goes to the G20 Bali Summit, Indonesia is asked to lobby for politics in Western countries

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian government was asked to conduct special political lobbying to convince Western countries, especially the United States, to attend the G20 meeting amid strong calls to boycott the event if the Russian President Vladimir Putin come.

An observer of international relations said that without the presence of Western leaders or Russia, the meeting would be difficult to come up with a solution following the chaos of the world economy due to the pandemic and war.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government maintains its stance of impartiality and the meeting in Bali is aimed at recovering the global economy, which is a priority for the world’s population today.

Also read: G20 Summit, Foreign Media Reported on Indonesia Not Exiting Russia and Putin from the Meeting

International relations expert from the University of Indonesia, Hariyadi Wirawan, assessed that Indonesia was in a difficult situation because it was caught between the interests of Western countries who opposed the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 meeting and called for a boycott of the event if Putin did come.

However, as the host of the event, he said, Indonesia should invite all member countries of the G20 without exception, regardless of the political conflicts that occurred due to the war in Ukraine.

That’s why the government’s neutral stance is considered appropriate.

On the other hand, if the leaders of Western countries refuse to attend the summit, then that would be tantamount to insulting Indonesia.

“We cannot refuse President Putin’s presence because it means siding with the West. And just because Indonesia invited Putin does not mean we are pro-Russian.

“So I hope Indonesia adheres to its stand of active freedom and that this meeting is to discuss world economic issues,” Hariyadi Wirawan told Quin Pasaribu who reported for BBC News IndonesiaSunday (27/3/2022).

“They fight please, but Indonesia keeps the same distance with them. Therefore we will not be able to be under Western pressure to block Putin’s presence.”

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