PARIS, April 21, 2022 (EIRNS) – In an interview with Australian papers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Indonesia’s new ambassador to Australia, Siswo Pramono, has defended Jakarta’s plan to have Russia at this year’s G-20 summit in Bali in mid-November, comparing it to Tony Abbott inviting Vladimir Putin to Brisbane in 2014 following Moscow’s seizure of Crimea and the downing of MH17.
At a cabinet-level G-20 meeting on Thursday morning in Washington, top finance officials from Ukraine, Britain, (the EU, ccc), the U.S., and Canada walked out as Russia’s representatives spoke. Western leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, have called for Russia to be expelled from the Group of 20 major economies over its invasion of Ukraine. Indonesia, which holds the summit’s presidency this year, is facing the prospect of boycotts if Moscow retains a seat at the table.