Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.trtworld.com
A G20 foreign ministers’ meeting has kicked off in the US, bringing together top diplomats from the world’s leading economies for two days of discussions of pressing global economic challenges, geopolitical tensions, and international security issues.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting the gathering, which opened on Friday, in the Southern city of Atlanta, Georgia, where the main focus will be on economic growth, energy and food security, freedom of navigation, and the resilience of global supply chains.
Opening the meeting, Rubio urged members to work together to address interconnected economic and geopolitical crises, warning of growing threats to energy and food supplies, international trade and freedom of navigation.
He described the current period as a “moment of choosing”, saying challenges facing the US also had implications for the wider world.
The gathering opened with Rubio’s remarks, without the traditional group photo, after several European officials indicated they would not appear alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Asked on the sidelines whether he would join a photo with Lavrov, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said: “I assume there will be no family photograph at all.”
He added that European partners would not pose alongside the Russian minister. “There is no normality with Russia,” he said.
‘Series of interconnected economic, geopolitical crises’
“We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises, many of which pose severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order,” said Rubio.
He identified disruptions to global energy and food supplies, supply chains, trade, and freedom of navigation as major challenges requiring a coordinated response.
Rubio called on G20 partners to strengthen economic resilience, safeguard markets, and protect the economies that depend on them.
