Russia's Lavrov to join G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia

G20 chair Indonesia has tried to unite the group and has invited both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to the November summit. Denis Tetiushin, a spokesperson at the Russian embassy in Jakarta, confirmed to Reuters that Lavrov would join the July 7-8 meeting on the island of Bali.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend a meeting of his counterparts of the Group of 20 biggest economies (G20) in Bali next week, a Russian embassy official in Indonesia said on Tuesday. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special operation," has overshadowed G20 proceedings this year, with several Western countries threatening to boycott a leaders' summit if Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends.

Though there has been no indication from Moscow that Lavrov would not attend, Russia's participation at G20 events has been a source of tension, including a walkout by U.S., British and Canadian officials at a G20 finance meeting in April. G20 chair Indonesia has tried to unite the group and has invited both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to the November summit.

Denis Tetiushin, a spokesperson at the Russian embassy in Jakarta, confirmed to Reuters that Lavrov would join the July 7-8 meeting on the island of Bali. An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson was not able to immediately confirm that. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is set to meet his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts during visits to Kyiv and Moscow this week on a peace-building mission, where which he hopes also to discuss freeing-up grain exports.

Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is better known, was in Poland on Tuesday and would travel by train to reach Kyiv, his office said in a statement.

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