By: Andi Kurniawan)*
The G20 Forum does not seem to only discuss issues of the world economy, but also opens up space for world peace. Especially now that Ukraine is at war with Russia.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reiterated that the goals that Indonesia wants to achieve as the host of the G20 Summit, one of which is to build world order and common prosperity. He said that Indonesia had started by making visits to Ukraine and Russia.
Jokowi also said that the peace mission during the visit would continue at the upcoming G20 Summit. This effort will continue to be carried out with the hope of bearing fruit at the G20 Summit in November.
This hope was conveyed by Jokowi in the midst of various conflicts that occur in the world. Not only that, he reminded how the world is currently facing a food, energy and financial crisis that has caused some groups to fall into extreme poverty.
Previously, Jokowi had attended the G7 Summit in Germany and then met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. From the visit, President Jokowi was welcomed by the Ukrainian government, especially this visit is one of the history of diplomatic relations. This is because for the first time a leader from an Asian country has visited since the war with Russia.
During his visit, Jokowi expressed his concern for what happened to Ukraine. With existing capabilities, President Jokowi on behalf of the Indonesian state provides assistance in the form of medicines and also helps reconstruct hospitals and supports the United Nations in providing security guarantees for Ukrainian food exports.
After coming from Ukraine, Jokowi immediately visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. From the visit, it seems that Jokowi conveyed a message from President Zelensky.
During the meeting, Putin guaranteed the security of export routes or access to food and fertilizer products, both from Russia and Ukraine. Then responding to the conflict, President Joko Widodo told Putin that Indonesia was ready to become a communication bridge between the two sides, both Russia and Ukraine.
Of course, the peace process between Russia and Ukraine still takes a long time if the government wants to be seriously involved as a peacemaker.
The unstable world political tension due to the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine is certainly a problem for Indonesia, which is preparing the G20 Summit forum. Moreover, the upcoming summit will seem to be a field of influence between the United States and Russia over what is happening in Ukraine.
On the other hand, Joe Biden, as the President of the United States, has openly requested that Russia be excluded from the membership of the G20 Summit. He even threatened not to attend the forum.
Even the United States Treasury Secretary, Jannet Yellen, joined in the voice. If the forum is held by inviting Russia, it will boycott the G20 summit. This of course shows that the pressure from the west that Indonesia received not to invite Russia was very strong. Recalling the actions of Russia to Ukraine of worldwide concern cannot be justified. Many countries are competing to condemn and impose sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government also voiced that it conveyed its support for Indonesia to continue to focus on the issues discussed amidst the efforts of several members to include the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The polarization of the members of the G20 Summit between those who support Indonesia’s stance on imposing sanctions on Russia, so that it does not budge in voicing their opinions, is a challenge for the Indonesian government so the government needs to take steps carefully.
In connection with the pressure from western countries not to invite Russia, it can actually be said that it does not respect the decision of the neutral Indonesian state, in which Indonesia joins the Non-Aligned Movement which prioritizes mutual respect for its territorial integrity and sovereignty and does not participate in interfere in the affairs of other countries. So that the west should not intervene in Indonesia and threaten its absence at the G20 Summit if Russia participates.
Due to the commotion and western political pressure in the implementation of the upcoming G20 Summit, the Government of Indonesia will continue to adhere to the principles of free and active politics that it adheres to and the Non-Aligned Movement to remain neutral over the conflicts that occur, where Indonesia will not take sides and even submit to state requests. west.
In this case, the true peace mission has always been a priority in Indonesia’s foreign policy. Moreover, the constitution mandates that Indonesia can contribute to creating world peace. Of course, this cannot be separated from considering the threat of a world food and energy crisis if this conflict is not ended immediately.
From these efforts, of course, it is hoped that there will be significant progress towards peace between Ukraine and Russia, so that peace efforts between the two countries can bring up a bright spot.
)* The author is a contributor to Persada Institute
