The meeting after the G20 summit in Bali on Friday night was the first between foreign ministers from Australia and China for more than three years.
In a speech to foreign ministers from around the world including Russia,Australia’s top diplomat warned “the cost will be borne by all of us” if the war is allowed to continue.
Australia’s foreign minister has left open the possibility of a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a G20 meeting in Bali this week but ramped up pressure on Beijing to exert its influence on Russia.
“Given Foreign Minister Lavrov plans to attend while Russia wages an illegal and immoral war on Ukraine,the meeting cannot be business as usual,” Wong said.
The diplomatic nudging came after Indonesian President Joko Widodo,who is currently the G20 president,had resisted America’s calls to bar Russia from the summit in Bali.
Western leaders such as US President Joe Biden had demanded Russia’s exclusion,but Indonesia hopes to avoid a boycott by inviting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to the world leaders gathering as well.
The Ukraine president revealed that Indonesian leader Joko Widodo had invited him. If he attends,he would be in the room with Putin,who has already accepted.
Western nations have demanded the exclusion of Russia and Vladimir Putin but there is hope in Indonesia,the G20 host,that a compromise can be reached.
Indonesia’s ambassador to Australia compares Russia’s likely participation this year to that “shirtfront” invitation after the downing of MH17.
Russia’s ambassador to Jakarta said Morrison’s push to boycott Putin’s appearance at the G20 summit was “driven by illogical hatred”.
Jakarta’s ambition to be a global player is under the spotlight as it wrestles with the G20 presidency following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.