Good morning, leaders. Today, I announce the opening of the G20 SummitNusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday drove several G20 heads of state and representatives of international organizations participating in the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, to the lunch venue in a buggy car.
Wearing a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a black tie, Widodo was seen driving the buggy car from the main meeting point at Candi Ballroom, the Apurva Kempinski, to the Ocean Front Lawn, which is located in the same complex as the hotel.
As observed from a live broadcast at the media center of the G20 Summit in Bali, the Indonesian President chatted with representatives of several international organizations, including the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, while driving.
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Upon arriving at the lunch venue, Widodo was greeted by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman. The two had a chat before they were joined by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were also seen having a tête-à-tête at the event.
The Ocean Front Lawn is located on the beach and has a special dome of bamboo, which was built for the G20 Summit.
The dome symbolizes Indonesia's commitment to the green economy, which is one of the three priority issues of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, namely energy transition, digital transformation, and global health architecture.
Widodo officially opened the two-day G20 Summit here on Tuesday.
"Good morning, leaders. Today, I announce the opening of the G20 Summit," he said. The summit will conclude on November 16, 2022.
The G20 is a multilateral cooperation forum comprising 19 major countries and the European Union (EU). It represents more than 60 percent of the world's population, 75 percent of global trade, and 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).
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The grouping’s members comprise South Africa, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, France, China, Turkey, and the European Union. Spain is the grouping's permanent guest.
In his remarks, the Indonesian President welcomed the leaders of G20 countries and the delegates, whom he had earlier welcomed individually.
He then immediately drew attention to several issues that are currently plaguing the world. He said that the G20 Summit should take those issues, including the fertilizer issue, into consideration.
The head of state emphasized that the fertilizer issue should not be underestimated. If concrete steps are not taken immediately, then the supply and prices of fertilizer will be disrupted. He said that this situation would show an effect the following year.
The crisis could escalate into a food supply crisis, as the scarcity and high price of fertilizers could increase food prices in several parts of the world, Widodo pointed out.
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Translator: Yashinta D, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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