Live: Ukraine at top of agenda at G20 meetings in Bali
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The Group of 20 foreign ministers met in Indonesia on Friday with the top envoys from the United States and Russia attending, their first gathering since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time, GMT+2.
4:29 am: US, Russia’s top diplomats attend G20 meeting in Bali
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov joined their colleagues for the start of day-long talks, with Washington seeking to gain support from the world’s top economies to pressure Moscow over the invasion of its neighbour.
“It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia’s involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20,” a senior US official said ahead of the meeting.
In comments to open the meeting on the resort island of Bali, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed the war.
“It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield,” Marsudi said, with Lavrov in the room.
While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions strained over issues including Taiwan.
But Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
