Thus, Indonesia emphasizes that partnerships and the establishment of a supportive environment are crucial.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The G20 must become a catalyst for strong, inclusive, and sustainable global economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said at the G20 Sherpa Meeting on Tuesday.

"Since the beginning of Indonesia’s Presidency, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has always emphasized that the G20 must benefit all countries," she noted.

She also highlighted high global expectations of the intergovernmental forum driving global economic recovery and finding concrete solutions on pandemics, environmental issues, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Hence, the principle of inclusivity, which is reflected in the main theme of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’, becomes very important, the minister said.

"Thus, Indonesia emphasizes that partnerships and the establishment of a supportive environment are crucial," she remarked.


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Furthermore, she outlined Indonesia's three priorities for its presidency: global health architecture, energy transition, and digital transformation.

"I expect that the meeting can generate a clear direction and transform challenges into opportunities. All the recommendations in the meeting should be delivered to G20 leaders," Marsudi said.

The meeting will last until Wednesday. It will focus on the forum’s working mechanism and discussions concerning the G20 agenda in 2022.

“Considering the importance of the meeting, Indonesia’s Presidency has introduced a ‘sofa talk’, which will allow Sherpas to speak more openly to facilitate the G20’s work,” Marsudi informed.

The meeting, which has been organized in a hybrid format, is being attended by 38 delegates from 19 G20 members, 9 invited countries, and 10 international organizations, she said. Twenty-three delegates are attending the meeting in person and the rest virtually, she added.

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Emphasizing the inclusivity principle, for the first time, representatives of small island nations in the Pacific and the Caribbean, as well as other developing countries in Africa, ASEAN, and Latin America have been invited to the G20 meeting, Marsudi said.

The Caribbean countries are represented by Antigua and Barbuda as the chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), while the Pacific countries are represented by Fiji as the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PAF), she informed.

A number of international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Labour Organization (ILO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and World Trade Organization (WTO), were also invited, she added.

In particular, Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the World Bank's managing director of development policy and partnerships, Mari Elka Pangestu, have been invited to brief nations on the current situation of global health and economy, she informed.


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Translator: Yashinta Pramudyani, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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