Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been invited to attend this year's event. Getty / AFP
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been invited to attend this year's event. Getty / AFP
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been invited to attend this year's event. Getty / AFP
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been invited to attend this year's event. Getty / AFP

G20: Indonesia prepares to host Ukrainian and Russian leaders at Bali summit


Indranil Ghosh
  • English
  • Arabic

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to attend this year’s G20 summit in Indonesia.

Should they travel to Bali next month, it will be the first time they will have shared a platform since the war between their two countries began in February.

Indonesia’s ambassador to the UAE Husin Bagis expressed his hope that they would attend in an exclusive interview with The National, adding: “The situation isn’t easy because of the Ukraine-Russia war.”

The White House has said that if Mr Putin attends, Mr Zelenskyy should also participate.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden did not rule out meeting Mr Putin during the summit.

Husin Bagis, Indonesia's ambassador to the UAE, at his office in Abu Dhabi's diplomatic enclave. Photo: Indonesian Embassy in the UAE
Husin Bagis, Indonesia's ambassador to the UAE, at his office in Abu Dhabi's diplomatic enclave. Photo: Indonesian Embassy in the UAE

Mr Bagis said logistical preparations for hosting the two presidents were already under way.

“We are deciding which hotels to put them up in ― one for Mr Putin and one for Mr Zelenskyy,” he said, referring to the need to avoid tension by putting them too close together.

“Indonesia is different than other countries,” he said. “Everything is peaceful in my country.”

Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian foreign ministry responded to The National's requests to confirm plans for the leaders to attend the meeting in Bali on November 15 and 16.

The multilateral forum on the island in November is expected to bring together the leaders of 20 of the world's largest economies as well as guest nations such as the UAE and Ukraine.

“Ukraine is not part of the G20, but still we are inviting them, as we are inviting the UAE because of our special relationship with the UAE,” Mr Bagis said.

Peace will rank high on the agenda, along with health, digital transformation and sustainable energy transition.

“We want to make the G20 a platform for peace, not conflict,” Mr Bagis said at his office in Abu Dhabi.

The presence of Mr Putin and Mr Zelenskyy, who has used global forums to appeal for support to end the conflict, would be the result of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s attempts at shuttle diplomacy in Ukraine and Russia in June this year, while on his way to visit the UAE, Mr Bagis said.

Mr Widodo, the chair of the G20 nations, is keen to urge both sides to agree to a ceasefire and reopen channels for grain exports to ensure food security.

The Iran nuclear deal and the civil war in Syria are unlikely to be part of the conversation at the summit, Mr Bagis said.

Formed in 1999, the G20 members account for 85 per cent of global gross domestic product, 75 per cent of international trade and two-thirds of the world's population, making the forum a key platform for international economic co-operation.

The group addresses issues related to the global economy and financial stability as well as climate change and sustainable development.

India will host its first G20 summit in New Delhi in September next year.

This article has been updated following clarification of Ambassador Bagis's original statement to ‘The National’, as written confirmation of the two leaders' attendance had not yet been received by Indonesian authorities.

Bali: see the island paradise hosting world leaders for the G20

  • Cycle down the path cutting through the Gunur Batur volcano in Bali’s central mountainous area. iStock
    Cycle down the path cutting through the Gunur Batur volcano in Bali’s central mountainous area. iStock
  • Balinese dancers enact a scene from the Ramayana in the Kecak ceremony. There is a daily show at Bali's Uluwatu temple. iStockphoto.com
    Balinese dancers enact a scene from the Ramayana in the Kecak ceremony. There is a daily show at Bali's Uluwatu temple. iStockphoto.com
  • The Nusa Dua beach extends across several five-star hotels, including the Melia and Sofitel. Courtesy: Melia Bali
    The Nusa Dua beach extends across several five-star hotels, including the Melia and Sofitel. Courtesy: Melia Bali
  • The pool at Melia Bali hotel in Nusa Dua. Courtesy: Melia Bali
    The pool at Melia Bali hotel in Nusa Dua. Courtesy: Melia Bali
  • The Premium Lagoon Access Suite Room at Melia Bali. Courtesy: Melia Bali
    The Premium Lagoon Access Suite Room at Melia Bali. Courtesy: Melia Bali
  • The balcony of the ground-floor rooms at the Melia is a mere step up from the lagoon-style pool. Courtesy: Melia Bali
    The balcony of the ground-floor rooms at the Melia is a mere step up from the lagoon-style pool. Courtesy: Melia Bali
  • The reception area at Melia Bali has plenty of seating and live music at the lobby bar. Courtesy: Melia Bali
    The reception area at Melia Bali has plenty of seating and live music at the lobby bar. Courtesy: Melia Bali
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Arrogate's winning run

1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016

2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016

3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016

4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016

5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016

6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017

7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017

What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

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NEW ARRIVALS

Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m 

Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback

Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

The biog

Favourite car: Ferrari

Likes the colour: Black

Best movie: Avatar

Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy

FIGHT CARD

Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)

Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)

Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)

Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)

Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)

Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)

Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)

Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)

Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)

Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)

Updated: October 07, 2022, 5:30 PM