At Bali, EAM S Jaishankar to defend India's plan to hold G-20 meet in J&K

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

India will defend its plans to hold some G-20 meetings in J&K when Foreign Ministers of this grouping meet next week in Bali, Indonesia, said sources here.

In a meeting expected to be dominated by Ukraine where the media glare will be on the simultaneous participation of Foreign Ministers from Ukraine and Russia, there is the expectation that Beijing could raise the issue of future meetings being held in J&K.

China has already gone public opposing India’s plan to hold some G-20 meetings in J&K when it takes over the chair of G20 from Indonesia towards the end of this year. “We call on relevant sides to focus on economic recovery and avoid politicising the relevant issue so as to make a positive contribution to improving the global economic governance,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said. In case the issue is raised, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to back the plan on the grounds that J&K is a sovereign part of India.

Of greater interest though will be how the rest of G-20 handles the opposition from western countries on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected presence at the summit. A preview will be available at Bali next week when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks.

At the last major G-20 ministerial in March, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her several counterparts from developing countries did not join a boycott of Russian Foreign Minister Anton Siluanov speech. The walkout was initiated by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen but ministers from Indonesia, China, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia besides India, did not follow suit.

Ukraine on agenda

• Bali summit next week is expected to be dominated by Ukraine issue
• Media glare to be on participation of Foreign Ministers from Ukraine and Russia
• At the last G-20 meet in March, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not join boycott of Russian FM’s speech

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