Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States succeeded in its goals at the G20, a global forum for international economic cooperation that was founded in 1999 to address economic and financial issues.
The G20 has expanded to include topics such as trade, sustainable development, and climate change, according to an overview by the organization. The summit is held annually with a rotating presidency. India holds the presidency of the G20 from December 2022 to November 2023. The G20 is considered the “premier forum for international economic cooperation.”
“I went to the #G20 today with two imperatives: First, to ensure that the G20 — with India at the helm — advances our shared goals, and second, to demonstrate how the U.S., together with our partners, is acting to meet the needs of the world. We succeeded at both," Blinken said in a March 1 post on Twitter.
The G20 presidency, which lasts for a year, steers the G20 agenda and hosts the summit. The summit is divided into the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track, led by Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors and sherpas, respectively, according to the G20 website. Working groups consisting of representatives from member and invited countries and international organizations meet regularly throughout the presidency.
The G20 also has Engagement Groups for civil society, parliamentarians and other stakeholders. The G20 has no permanent secretariat, but the Troika of previous, current and incoming presidencies supports the presidency, the G20 website reported. The fellowship in charge during India’s presidency includes Indonesia, India and Brazil, who will hold the presidency in 2024.
“Today I spoke with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to look ahead at Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency. We also discussed working together now to promote increased trade and investment and protect our climate,” Blinken said in a March 2 Twitter post.
The G20 comprises a significant proportion of the global economy, trade and population, according to a State Department fact sheet. This is the first meeting to address the intersection of political, social and economic interests.
Blinken will engage with G20 members and invited partners to reinforce the U.S.' commitment to food, health, energy and women's security, according to the fact sheet. The U.S. will continue to collaborate with G20 and other international partners to address the severe humanitarian challenges arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in passing for roughly 10 minutes, according to AP News.
During a press briefing in New Delhi March 2, Blinken discussed his meeting with Lavrov and said he conveyed the U.S.’ commitment to engaging and taking action on strategic arms control, regardless of other global or bilateral developments, according to an Associated Press YouTube report.
“Today, I participated in an important #G20 session on counterterrorism. I thank India for convening us to deepen our collaboration on these vital issues, particularly on preventing and countering the use of unmanned aerial systems and other emerging technologies,” Blinken said in a Twitter post.
