U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen advised Reuters {that a} sturdy assertion condemning Russia’s conflict in Ukraine was “absolutely necessary” for a communique from the G20 finance leaders’ assembly in India concluding on Saturday.
Yellen mentioned in an interview that leaving a conflict condemnation out of the communique can be a step again from an announcement made by G20 leaders final November on the Indonesian island of Bali.
Asked whether or not there can be no communique from the G20 finance ministers and central financial institution governors assembly with out such an announcement, Yellen mentioned negotiations have been persevering with.
The assembly on the outskirts of India’s Bengaluru tech hub was on account of finish late on Saturday.
“I think there has to be a statement in the communique condemning Russia’s war. We’ve had it in the past, in Bali and it’s something that I think is absolutely necessary,” Yellen mentioned.
“And I think the G7 is certainly united on that, so it’s something that I would expect and I think is necessary and appropriate.”
Yellen’s feedback, nonetheless, got here as hopes have been fading that the group would be capable to produce a joint assertion in its remaining hours.
G20 chair India is urgent the assembly to keep away from utilizing the phrase “war” in any communique, G20 officers have advised Reuters. India, which holds the present G20 presidency, has stored a largely impartial stance on the conflict, declining guilty Russia for the invasion, looking for a diplomatic answer and sharply boosting its purchases of Russian oil.
In Bali, the G20 leaders issued an announcement that learn: “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine,” signaling that Russia, a member of G20, had opposed the wording.
The Bali declaration added: “There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com