TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada, Mélanie Joly, traveled to Indonesia today and met President Joko Widodo or Jokowi. The two discussed a number of issues, one of which was related to Indonesia’s G20 presidency.

“Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed Canada’s full support for the Indonesian presidency,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Retno Marsudi who participated in the meeting, in a written statement, Monday, April 11, 2022.

Canada’s support was offered amid the ongoing international dynamics related to the G20. One of them concerns other members of the G20, namely between the United States and Russia.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry assures that the G20 committee will continue to invite all members of the forum, including Russia, which is currently in the spotlight for its invasion of Ukraine.

“As the G20 presidency, of course, and in line with previous presidencies, must invite all G20 members,” said the Ambassador and Special Staff of Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Priority Programs and G20 Co-Sherpa Indonesia, Dian Triansyah Djani, Thursday March 24, 2022.

On the other hand, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had threatened the US to boycott a number of G20 meetings this year if Russia attended. Later, it was clarified that Yellen was referring to a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers scheduled for April 20 in Washington DC.

“President Biden has made it clear, and I certainly agree with him, that business cannot be business as usual for Russia at any financial institution,” Yellen said April 6.

“He asked for Russia to be removed from the G20 and I explained to my Indonesian counterparts that we would not attend a number of meetings if Russia was there,” Yellen said.

Meanwhile, at today’s meeting, Retno said, Joly stated Canada’s commitment to continuing open communication with Indonesia. Above all, in order to best prepare the G20 to deal with the current difficult situation.

Therefore, Retno said Indonesia wants support from various countries to actually materialize. “We are working together so that once again G20 can function optimally in the midst of this difficult situation,” he said.