The G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, United States, faced difficulties on Friday. Senior diplomats from European countries refrained from participating in a "family photo" alongside Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.
Avoiding Controversy
Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State and host of this gathering, decided to cancel the group photo to prevent the ceremony from turning into a spectacle or controversy. This decision was made while Lavrov was present as Russia's representative at the meeting.
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Johann Wadephul, the German Foreign Minister, told reporters before the first session that "there will be no family photo with European partners and Mr. Lavrov because ... there is no habit with Russia."
Pre-summit Meeting
This two-day gathering, which includes the European Union, Russia, Germany, India, China, Brazil, and other major countries, is set to lay the groundwork for the G20 summit in December. The summit will be held in Miami and hosted by Donald Trump, the President of the United States.
Rubio emphasized unity on key issues at the start of the discussions, telling his counterparts that they are in a "critical moment." He referred to disruptions in energy and global trade, stating that these issues pose serious threats to the fundamental foundations of the global economic order.
Several countries, including the United States and Russia, are engaged in separate wars. The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine have led to rising food prices globally.
Challenges in Reaching Consensus
While the message of the summit is one of unity and finding solutions to issues such as freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the reality is that finding common ground is likely to be much more difficult. With renewed negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, there is also interest in hearing Lavrov's views on Russia's position in future talks with Kyiv.
The United States has invited Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, to attend the G20 summit in Miami, but it is unclear whether Russia has accepted the invitation. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, had previously stated that he would travel to Miami for talks if Putin was also there.
The Kremlin has so far refused to hold direct meetings with Zelensky, and Lavrov stated on the sidelines of the summit that Putin is ready to meet with the Ukrainian President if he travels to Moscow. Lavrov said, "President Putin said if he [Zelensky] is willing to meet, let him come to Moscow."
Political and Economic Impacts
Lavrov stated on Friday that despite efforts, "in practice, no real progress in relations with the United States has been observed so far." This comes as the United States recently announced an agreement on diesel with Russia and also lifted new sanctions against Russian energy.
He also noted that Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, was not invited this year due to the United States' conscious choice to invite official members of the group. However, the United States did not extend an invitation to South Africa, one of the founders of the G20 and the only African country in the group. Fendile Koonene, spokesperson for the South African Foreign Minister, stated that their non-participation is not voluntary.
According to reports, this meeting is expected to conclude on Saturday with a summary from the United States instead of a final statement.
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