Japan's finance chief did not join Russia walkout at G-20 meeting

Nikkei -- Apr 21

Japan's finance minister denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine but did not join Western peers in walking out when the Russian delegation began to speak at a Group of 20 meeting in Washington.

Speaking alongside Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda after the meeting on Thursday, Shunichi Suzuki said he had told G-20 counterparts that the war was a "a clear violation of international law."

"Keeping the peace is indispensable for international cooperation, and Russia's actions in contravention of this are absolutely unacceptable," he said. "I condemn [Russia] in the strongest possible terms."

Multiple Western countries quit the closed-door meeting in protest when the Russian delegation started to talk. Officials who left included U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, as well as Canadian Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Suzuki explained he did not leave the meeting, but he did rebuke Moscow, pointing out that the invasion of Ukraine was the source of many difficulties facing the global economy and that Russia should not participate in G-20 meetings under current circumstances.

Apr 21 (ANNnewsCH) - アメリカ・ワシントンでG20などの会合に出席した鈴木財務大臣が会見し、会議の場でロシアを強く批判したと明らかにしました。  20日に開催されたG20の財務相・中央銀行総裁会議では、ロシアの参加に反対するアメリカ、イギリス、カナダの代表が途中退席するなど異例の展開となりました。  日本の対応に注目が集まっていましたが、鈴木財務大臣は会見で、自身は退席しなかったと明かしたうえで、ロシアを強く批判したと強調しました。  鈴木財務大臣:「現下の情勢でロシアのG20参加はすべきでないという考えをはじめとしてロシアを厳しく批判した」