ISLAMABAD, April 21 ( Alliance News): During Russia’s address to a meeting of financial officials of the world’s richest countries, several countries, led by US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, walked out in protest of Moscow’s attack on Ukraine at the G20 summit.
According to foreign media, a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors covered the issue of Moscow’s attack on its neighbor, the first since President Vladimir Putin ordered the attack in late February.
Officials confirmed that British, French and Canadian officials joined the boycott during the meeting, which reflects the warmth of the meeting.
Russia began talking to the G20, “several finance ministers and central bank governors, including the Ukrainian finance minister (Sergei Marchenko) and the US secretary of finance, walked out of the meeting.”
He said some finance ministers and central bank governors, who were virtual, had turned off their cameras on Russia’s speech.
The group of 20 rich nations convened a meeting to address global challenges such as rising debt and a possible food crisis, but war was the talk of the town.
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Christiaan Freeland tweeted a picture of officials walking out of the meeting, saying “the world’s democracies will not remain silent in the face of continued Russian aggression and war crimes.”
During the meeting, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called on Russian delegates to refrain from attending the session, saying “the war is not compatible with international cooperation.”
Experts believe that the bloc had little chance of reaching a consensus on global challenges, such as climate change and debt relief for poor nations. ۔
“I think there should be very few expectations,” said Matthew Goodman, senior vice president of economics at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
He said in an interview that it was difficult to see how the G20 would come together to deal with the crisis in Ukraine.
Finance officials are meeting in Washington for the spring meeting of the World Bank and the IMF.
Pointing to a long list of issues, Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, said global co-operation was “necessary and will continue”.
“No country can solve problems on its own,” he said.
Responding to a question on “how can the group avoid disintegration and keep up the momentum”, Georgieva said: “I can confirm the fact that when tensions arise, difficulties increase but it is impossible to eliminate them. do not have’.
Kristalina Georgieva is thought to be the head of a 189-member body.
