Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo is planning a trip to East Asia, including a visit to Japan late this month to meet with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, an Indonesian government source said Wednesday.
During the envisaged tour, Joko is also expected to visit China and South Korea to meet with their respective leaders, Xi Jinping and Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the source.
The plan comes as the Southeast Asian country is poised to host a summit of the Group of 20 major economies in November. Joko has invited both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G-20 gathering as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has shown no signs of ending.
Through talks with the East Asian nations’ leaders, the Indonesian president, popularly known as Jokowi, is expected to seek understanding of his invitation to Putin and Zelenskyy, the source said.
Indonesia has been trying to play the role of a bridge builder between Moscow and Kyiv. Joko made trips to Ukraine and Russia late last month, becoming the first Asian leader to visit the two countries since the war in Ukraine began in late February.
The Group of Seven major developed nations including Japan are adding pressure on Moscow through sanctions, while Xi and Putin agreed last month to work together to counter what they say is the international order dominated by the United States and democratic European countries.
Joko and Kishida last met in late April in Bogor near Jakarta, agreeing that the two nations will step up cooperation toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a Japanese and U.S.-promoted vision to counter China’s increasing military and economic influence in the region.
Including the G-7 nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union — the G-20 also groups Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. Ukraine is not a member.
