De-escalation, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty: Macron, Xi meet on sidelines of G20 summit

Macron wrote this on Twitter following a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Ukrinform reports.

"President Xi Jinping and I call for respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The consequences of this conflict stretch beyond Europe’s frontiers, and it is through close coordination between France and China that they will be overcome," Macron wrote.

A statement from the Elysee Palace notes that the French president expressed his deep concern over Russia's choice to continue the war in Ukraine. "The two heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and agreed on the urgency of de-escalation. They reaffirmed their firm position on the prevention of the use of nuclear weapons," the statement reads.

President Xi gave his support to the initiatives taken by President Macron to work for peace.

They also focused on the consequences of the conflict for the rest of the world. Macron said that the contribution of the G20 members would be crucial to appease the agricultural markets. In this regard, he returned to the efforts made by France and the European Union, including the export of Ukrainian grain crops by land and river.

A two-day summit of the leaders of the G20 countries began on the Indonesian island of Bali on November 15, with much attention to be paid to Ukraine.

Photo: Macron/Twitter