Japan to attend G20 meeting, no comment on Russia – finance minister
Japan will attend a meeting of G20 finance ministers next week, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday, as Western countries called for Russia’s expulsion from the forum and boycott sessions where Moscow is represented.
“The Japanese government is not in a position to respond to the participation of each country“Suzuki told a news conference when asked about Russia’s plans to join the online forum, which Indonesia’s current G20 chairman announced on Thursday.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States would boycott some G20 meetings if Russian officials showed up.. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has called for any form of cooperation with Russia to be rejected at the G20.
The upcoming G20 meeting “is a very important conference to discuss various issues in the global economy, including rising food and energy prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine...where the participation of the finance minister and central bank governor of each country is basically expected,” Suzuki said.
Meanwhile, Japan “will take appropriate measures to close cooperation with G7 allies and host country Indonesia,” based on a statement by G7 leaders in March that international platforms should not pursue relations with Russia in the manner usual, said Suzuki.
