Last Friday night, a White House official announced that the first meeting of the "Group of 20" will be held in Rome

Global economy and Iran as main topics at the G20 Summit

In this first session, the leaders of the countries participating in the G20 summit will meet today, Saturday, in the Italian capital, Rome, to discuss international issues such as the economy and global health. 

The meeting will be attended by several heads of state, whose countries account for 80% of the global economy and 60% of the world's population. 

Another crucial issue that Biden will discuss with other European leaders will be Iran and its troubled history.

The participating leaders will announce their support for the decision to apply a 15% minimum tax on large companies, as well as their commitment to implement this decision in 2023, according to the same official. 

U.S. President Joe Biden

Also, Biden will speak about the global energy markets, about the supply and demand imbalance, in order to encourage the world economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. 

He also reported that the IMF expected what would be the highest growth for the United States in 40 years, estimating it at 6 %.

The meeting, which will be the first after the Coronavirus pandemic crisis, will also be very much on the topic of the climate change crisis, and will be held shortly before the COP26 international climate conference, which will take place in Scotland. 

Country leaders are also expected to develop a program to help the poorest countries pay off their debts. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin

At the meeting, there will be the presence of leaders such as the President of the United States, Joe Biden; Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil; and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

There will also be the virtual presence of leaders such as the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the President of China, Xi Jinping.

It should also be noted that this will be the last G20 summit to be attended by Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor, accompanied by her possible next Social Democrat successor, Olaf Scholz. 

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel

According to statements reported by Reuters, there will be a pact between the G20 leaders, in which they will commit to address issues such as climate change and its future consequences and risks, as well as to take immediate measures to achieve the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5 ºC, and to establish a world health and finance council, among others.

On climate change, G20 leaders will also renew their commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and reduce their use by 2025. 

Hours before the summit began, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the leaders present to intensify their efforts to halt climate change, as it could result in the collapse of global civilization and mass migrations if proper precautions are not taken. 

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau

"There is absolutely no doubt that this is a reality that we have to face," Johnson added. 

He further added that if sufficient measures are not taken, living conditions could deteriorate very soon. 

"You have seen it with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, and I am sorry to say that this applies to what is happening today," the British prime minister communicated.

Following a meeting in The Hague between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte, the Canadian prime minister communicated that Canada and the Netherlands were heading to the G20 Summit and COP26 with a common strategy to urge other countries to step up their efforts against climate change. 
 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

"It was a meeting of two like-minded friends that allowed us to strategize on how we can continue to apply pressure to ensure that the world meets these enormous challenges," communicated in a press conference, Justin Trudeau.

Most of the G20 summit leaders will also attend COP26, with the exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, said last Friday that "On the eve of the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, all roads to success pass through Rome".
 

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