President Jokowi Calls for End of War at G20 Opening

President Jokowi told the Group of 20 heads of state who had gathered at the opening ceremony of the 2022 G20 Bali Summit that every country had a great responsibility to stop the war.

ISTANA KEPRESIDENAN/AGUS SUPARTO

President Joko Widodo at the opening of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Tuesday (11/15/2022).

NUSA DUA, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo formally opened the 2022 Group of 20 Bali Summit on Tuesday (11/15/2022) in Nusa Dua, Badung regency, Bali. In his opening speech, the President firmly requested that the leaders of G20 member countries and invited countries bring an end to the war in Ukraine and geopolitical divide.

The President opened the first G20 Summit to be held in Indonesia, which holds this year’s G20 presidency. After tapping the gavel signaling the commencement of the session, he highlighted the current condition of the world, which was facing multiple crises from the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic to global rivalry, wars, the food and energy crises and financial constraints.

President Jokowi also highlighted that the world was facing the challenge of increasingly sharp polarization following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. He added that the eyes of the world were on the G20 Summit, and therefore, the international forum should not fail.

Also read:

> Neither US Nor China Want New Cold War

> Will Nuclear War Happen?

“Are we going to record a success? Or are we going to add one more challenge to the current state of the world?” said the President.

He said that over the last few months, Indonesia had, as the holder of the 2022 G20 presidency, had made every effort to bridge differences. However, without commitment and hard work to set aside those differences, success could not be achieved.

The President delivered his messages on war and world peace in English. Addressing the leaders of the G20 member countries, he said that every leader present in Bali today had a great responsibility to not only their respective citizens, but also all citizens of the world. There was no other choice at present but to encourage dialogue and collaboration to save the world from the crises that had affected all countries, especially poor and developing countries.

AP/ALEX BRANDON

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping reach out to shake hands before their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia.

“That responsibility means we must create a win-win situation, not a zero-sum game. Being a responsible leader also means we must stop the war. If the war does not stop, it will be difficult for the world to move forward. We should not split into two factions. We must not allow the world to escalate into another Cold War,” said President Jokowi.

Declaration of optimism

Indonesia has held the G20 presidency during a difficult time, when the world is experiencing geopolitical and economic turmoil. However, some sense of optimism has been achieved towards consensus in the leaders' declaration.

We must not allow the world to escalate into another Cold War.

The final meeting of the G20 Sherpa Track on Sunday evening (11/15/2022) to draft a leadership declaration raised hopes that the heads of state were agreed in issuing a joint declaration. Initial doubts overshadowed the potential declaration, considering the high level of geopolitical tension at present.

The leaders’ declaration would consist of an overview regarding the G20 members’ approach towards current global geopolitical and economic issues, followed by a paragraph describing the G20 leaders’ agreement on carrying out concrete actions and initiatives in various fields.

In addition to a political stance, various working groups and ministerial meetings have succeeded in agreeing to various concrete deliverables, which remain to be strengthened through a joint leaders’ statement.

When asked about progress in discussions on drafting the G20 leaders’ declaration, the Secretary Susiwijono Moegiarso of the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister said that every representative of the G20 Sherpa Track had agreed to produce a leader's declaration. “Indeed, it will strike the gavel at the summit. However, discussions have been very conducive,” said Susiwijono.

He also expressed his belief that President Jokowi's opening speech at the G20 Summit illustrated the energy that was currently building among state leaders. The leaders’ declaration would consist of an overview regarding the G20 members’ approach towards current global geopolitical and economic issues, followed by a paragraph describing the G20 leaders’ agreement on carrying out concrete actions and initiatives in various fields.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto

“[Attitudes towards geopolitical conditions] will definitely be in the opening paragraph. This is the result of the hard work over the past several months,” said Susiwijono.

Ealier, during a special interview with Kompas, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto expressed his belief that the G20 leaders could achieve a joint declaration in Bali, despite the sharp global fragmentation. To reach agreement without mentioning the geopolitical tensions, Indonesia would encourage the use of moderate or subtle language, such as by avoiding the impression of criticizing certain parties and instead placing more emphasis on accountability.

“This moderation is important so the G20 is not pulled by geopolitical factions. The declaration must demonstrate Indo-Pacific neutrality and favor developing countries,” said Airlangga.

This article was translated by Yessy Rizky Utami