Russian Foreign Ministry Dubs Inflating G20 Agenda By Issues Of Peace, Security 'Unviable'

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2022) The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that expanding the agenda of the G20 by including matters of peace and security is "unviable" and constitutes an incursion into the domain of the UN Security Council.

"We are convinced that the G20 is designed to deal specifically with the social and economic group of problems. Expanding its agenda to include peace and security issues, which many other countries are also talking about, is unviable," the ministry said in a statement ahead of the arrival of the Russian delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, to the G20 summit in Bali.

The ministry noted that such a move would be "a direct encroachment on the competences of the UN Security Council," warning that it could undermine the atmosphere of trust and cooperation within the G20 format and work to the detriment of the group's specialized activities.

Moscow advocates "the openness of global economy and the prevention of discrimination against its participants, including the unconditional and immediate lifting of all illegitimate unilateral restrictions."

Indonesia, which is currently presiding over the G20, will be hosting the group's summit in Bali from November 15-16. On Thursday, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attend the summit, and the Russian delegation will be headed by Lavrov. Russian delegates arrived in Bali earlier on Sunday.