(Ottawa) Canada “will not yield to Russian propaganda” during the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Indonesia, assures Mélanie Joly.
Posted at 2:28 p.m.
Canada’s head of diplomacy is on her way to Bali, where she will meet with her counterparts from the G20, this economic grouping.
Among his vis-à-vis, there will be Sergei Lavrov, from Russia.
“It’s not true that I’m going to find myself in the same room as Sergei Lavrov at the G20,” Minister Joly had launched last March.
Despite her presence, she still chose to make the trip.
Because his presence “is also an opportunity to directly counter the disinformation of the representatives of the Russian regime, which is now expected in such multilateral forums”, is it written in the press release announcing his presence at the summit.
“Canada must stand up to expose Russia’s lies and, with like-minded partners, propose solutions to confront Russia’s weaponization of food […] “said Minister Joly in the same press release.
Last April, G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Washington left the room when Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Silouanov wanted to intervene virtually.
Among those taking part in the boycott were Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde.
Towards the top of the leaders
This meeting is a prelude to the summit of G20 leaders, which will be held next November.
In late March, US President Joe Biden called for Russia’s expulsion from the G20.
For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not go that far, but he expressed his discomfort.
“It can’t be business as usual. With Russia around the table, it’s going to be a big issue for a lot of countries, including Canada. I don’t think we can sit with Russia around the table,” he said.
In the same breath, he could not help stressing the irony that Vladimir Putin’s regime, which is wreaking havoc on the global economy, has its place within a group whose mission is precisely to find ways to promote economic growth.