NUSA DUA, Nov 15 (AFP) - Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies open talks on Tuesday on the island of Bali, after a final pitch by host Indonesia for the bloc to focus on action to help a global economic recovery despite deep rifts due to the war in Ukraine.
The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil to India, Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world's gross domestic product), 75% of international trade and 60% of its population.
A positive sign on the eve of the summit was a three-hour bilateral meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in which the two leaders pledged more frequent communications despite many differences.
Monday's meeting was the first time the two had met in person since Biden became president and the talks appeared to signal an improvement in relations between the superpowers after a downward spiral in recent months.
With the Ukraine war and a global spike in inflation overshadowing the summit, Indonesia's president made a fresh appeal to the leaders of the world's richest countries to unite at least on economic matters.
"We hope the G20 summit can deliver concrete partnerships that can help the world in its economic recovery," President Joko Widodo said after a bilateral meeting with Biden.
The Indonesian leader, widely known as Jokowi, also asked the European Commission and the G7 bloc to lend "support and flexibility" so that the summit can produce concrete results, he said in a statement.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered calls by some Western leaders for a boycott of the summit and for the withdrawal of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation.
Indonesia resisted, refusing to withdraw Putin's invitation, and also rejecting what Indonesian sources say has been pressure from G7 nations to condemn Russia at the summit this week.
Russia has said Putin was too busy to attend the summit with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov taking his place. Lavrov on Monday dismissed a news agency report that he had been taken to hospital in Bali with a heart condition.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to address the summit via video link on Tuesday.
A joint G20 communique, which would need to be agreed by all parties, appears unlikely, with Indonesia instead pushing for a leaders' declaration, diplomatic sources say.
"The war and the geopolitical tensions that have increased mean the diverse interest among G20 members have grown wider," said Jose Rizal, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
