By inviting five developing countries, including giants India and South Africa, which are particularly at risk of food crises, the G7, meeting at the summit in Bavaria, seeks to expand the democratic front against Moscow and Beijing.

The leaders of India, Argentina, Senegal, Indonesia and South Africa, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, joined talks on Monday afternoon, at Elmau Castle, in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

For the summit host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this invitation should demonstrate that the “democratic community” is not limited to “the West and countries in the Northern Hemisphere”. “The future of democracy is in Asia and Africa,” the German leader said ahead of the meeting.

In a G7 dominated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, but also the climate and food crises, “dialogue with these important countries” playing a “regional leadership role” is a “good thing”, explains Thorsten Brenner, director of the think tank Global Public Policy. Institute (GPPI).

Seduced country

These countries, which derive supplies from Russia and Ukraine of cereals, sunflower oil as well as fertilizers that are essential for their agriculture, are particularly vulnerable to the risk of food shortages.

Sessions devoted to food security take place on Mondays in the late afternoon. In the morning, the G7 launched a new call to Moscow to ensure a “free passage” of foodstuffs originating in Ukraine.

“The G7 must make clear that while Russia’s wars, not sanctions, contribute to global food security problems, the West is on its part to promote food security in the most vulnerable countries,” Brenner said.

But this invitation from countries representing more than 1.7 billion people takes on other strategic issues, five months after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The G7 did seek to tie India, Senegal and South Africa to its camp, which abstained during a vote on a UN resolution condemning the Russian attack. These countries were also courted by Vladimir Putin, who on June 22 advocated a stronger role for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in relation to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Russia is thus in the process of “actively redirecting its trade flows and external economic contacts to reliable international partners, especially to the BRICS countries”, underscoring Putin, citing for example “talks about opening Indian chain stores in Russia”.

India in particular is seeking a delicate balance between its relations with the West and with Russia, which provides most of its weapons and energy needs, against a backdrop of rivalry with Beijing.

Strong pressure

Indonesia also occupies a special place, with its presidency at this year’s G20. Indonesian Head of State Joko Widodo will soon visit Ukraine and Russia. It will also host the G20 summit in November to which Putin was invited. The country is under intense pressure from the West, led by the United States, to exclude Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But Jakarta refused, arguing that its position as host required it to remain “impartial”, according to Joko Widodo, who also invited Ukrainian President Zelensky.

The West has finally come to a decision and the possible presence of a Russian president should not cast doubt on their participation, Monday convincing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Scholz, setting aside the idea of ​​a boycott. . “The G20 is too important to developing countries for us to let Putin destroy it,” von der Leyen said.

If Western heads of state visit Bali, it will be their first physical meeting with a Russian president since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Mathieu FOULKES/AFP