Russia rejects G20 focus on security

Russia has called on the G20 to shift its focus from security and concentrate instead on the world’s most pressing socio-economic issues ahead of a summit set to be dominated by Western criticism of the Ukraine invasion.

In a statement issued ahead of the summit, Russia’s foreign ministry said it was fundamentally important that the G20 concentrate on real and not imaginary threats.

It added: “We are convinced that the G20 is called upon to deal with socio-economic problems. Expanding its agenda into areas of peace and security, which many countries are talking about, is not viable. This would be a direct incursion on the mandate of the United Nations Security Council and will undermine the atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the G20.”

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The G20, a group of the world’s largest economies that make up more than 80% of global GDP, is set to hold its summit on the Indonesian island of Bali this week.

U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders are expected to use the high-profile forum to slam Russia publicly over the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the summit but Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will head Russia’s delegation to the summit — the first high-profile attendance since the Ukraine war.

Russia said the global food crisis will form the agenda in Bali which falls just days before the Black Sea grain deal will expire.

Moscow is calling for ease on some of the sanctions that it says currently blocks the crucial flow of agriculture and fertilizer exports.

Zainab Sa’id