INTERNATIONAL: A walkout by officials from the United States, Britain and Canada over Russia's participation in a meeting of finance officials from the world's 20 biggest economies did not derail the meeting's focus on finding common ground to address headwinds confronting global growth, the body's chair said on Wednesday 20th April.

The top finance officials walked out of the G20 meeting as Russian representatives spoke, exposing deepening divisions over Russia's continued presence in the body.

Ukrainian officials, in Washington seeking billions of dollars of additional funding, also walked out of the meeting, a source familiar with the meeting said.

Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who chaired the gathering in Washington, said the walkout during the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers meeting was "not a total surprise" and was not disruptive to the group's wider discussion.

 INDONESIA'S FINANCE MINISTER SRI MULYANI INDRAWATI, SAID:

''All members see the G20 as a very important forum, a premiere economic cooperation forum for us to discuss both in terms of the risks as well as how should we coordinate and collaborate together. I think that is something that was very strongly expressed during the meeting. So, I'm confident that this [walkout by some members] will not erode the cooperation as well as the role of the G20 forum."

"This is an extraordinary situation; it is not business as usual, a very dynamic and challenging one. So for Indonesia, since we hosted the first finance minister as the Central Bank governor meeting back in February in Jakarta, the development of the global environment has actually deteriorated and changed very fast, due to the first pandemic which is not yet over. The second one is the Russia war in Ukraine."

"Members expressed deep concerns about humanitarian crisis, economic and financial impact of the war and called for the end of the war as soon as possible. Many members condemned the war as unprovoked and unjustifiable and a violation of international law."

"Members shared the view that the war and the associated action have and will continue to hinder the global economic recovery process raising particular concern about food security and energy prices.

The G20 includes Western countries that have accused Moscow of war crimes in Ukraine, as well as China, India, Indonesia and South Africa which have not joined Western-led sanctions against Russia over the conflict.

Indrawati said many countries spoke out against the war at the meeting, although she did not identify them.

Over five million Ukrainians have fled abroad since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945.

The United States accuses Russia of committing war crimes in what Moscow calls a "special military operation". Russia denies the allegations.

^{PHOTO: FOOTAGE FROM INDONESIA'S FINANCE MINISTER SRI MULYANI INDRAWATI AND GOVERNOR OF BANK OF INDONESIA PERRY WARJIYO DURING LIVE INTERVIEW ON G20 MEETING IN WASHINGTON D.C./ SOUNDBITES FROM MINISTER INDRAWATI/ STILL PHOTO OF G20 MEMBERS WHO WALKED OUT OF G20 MEETING TO PROTEST RUSSIA'S PARTICIPATION}