The Japanese news agency “Kyodo” reported that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken suggested boycotting the group photo, and several colleagues from the G7 group of countries joined him.
Western diplomats also refused to go to the dinner on Thursday night because Lavrov was attending it, Kyodo reported.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that Indonesia, which is organizing this meeting, understands and respects the decision of Western politicians, Reuters news agency reported.
However, the group picture can still be taken after Lavrov has left.
The press representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, revealed to the German news agency DPA that Lavrov will not participate in the afternoon meetings and the official dinner.
Blinken, German Foreign Minister Annalene Burbock and other leaders at the G20 meeting in Bali have avoided Lavrov and refused to meet with him, and the US, Canadian and European delegations left the hall before Russian officials spoke, Kyodo reported.
But Lavrov had bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey and China.
Diplomats reported that Lavrov left the meeting today when Burbok began criticizing Moscow for invading Ukraine. Later, Lavrov also left another meeting before the Ukrainian foreign minister’s virtual speech and was not present at the closed meeting when Blinken condemned Russia.
Burbok criticized Lavrov for refusing to engage in serious negotiations.
Burbok said that the fact that the Russian foreign minister spent most of the time outside the negotiation rooms at the G20 meeting shows that the Russian government does not have the slightest desire to engage in negotiations at the moment.
She emphasized that Lavrov was not present at the talks, which discussed how to improve global food supply chains, which have been shaken by the war in Ukraine.
Burbok pointed out that the vast majority of representatives at the G20 meeting condemned Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, and the call of the G20 countries to Russia is clear – it must end the war.
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