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US President Biden congratulated outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel “on over 16 years of leadership on issues of importance to our shared security and prosperity and to the Transatlantic relationship,” during a meeting with Biden, Merkel, and Merkel’s anticipated successor, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to a White House statement released Saturday.
“In addition, President Biden underscored the importance of continued work to implement the U.S.-Germany Joint Statement on Support for Ukraine and European Energy Security, to ensure that Russia cannot manipulate natural gas flows for harmful political purposes,” according to the White House.
Following the first day of the G20 summit, a senior administration official briefed reporters traveling with US President Biden in Rome about today’s meeting on Iran, China, Germany, Ukraine and tomorrow’s supply chain event.
On Iran: According to the official, today’s meeting of UK, Germany, France and the US on Iran was a “very informal, very engaged, very detailed and substantive strategic conversation about the way forward, about our concerns with respect to Iran’s capabilities, our concerns about Iran’s willingness to engage in a serious and meaningful way at the bargaining table.”
“And so they talked about next steps over the course of the next few weeks for how we can effectively shape the environment to give diplomacy the best chance of succeeding in the fastest possible timeframe to put a lid back on Iran’s nuclear program,” the official added.
On Ukraine: The leaders also “had the opportunity to touch base briefly on the question of Ukraine, and, you know, all of them, of course, recommitted to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and reviewed questions related to how we can move diplomacy forward there, as well, particularly with respect to the Minsk agreements.”
On Germany: On today’s meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her projected successor, Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the official told pool reporters, “it was an opportunity for him to get to speak with Vice-Chancellor Scholz as he works to form a government, and also to tell Chancellor Merkel, that for every day she has remaining in office, he wants to stay intensively engaged with her, even as the German government undergoes a transition.”
On China: In several meetings throughout the trip, the official said, China has remained “a prominent topic of conversation between the President and his European counterparts.”
“And it’s not the caricature version of that conversation. It is a conversation that really takes account of the full complexity of the issue,” the official said. “And what we have found is really quite strong convergence with the leaders of Europe and the President on the nature of the challenge and what we need to do to deal with it … not as some kind of block formation or new Cold War-style engagement, but rather as dealing with a very complex challenge in a clear-eyed and highly coordinated way.”
On supply chain chaos: Ahead of tomorrow’s supply chain event, the senior administration official said the focus will be, short-term, “about effectively identifying bottlenecks and then pursuing strategies to break those bottlenecks,” where Biden will “talk with a variety of leaders about what each country can step up and do in terms of its national action to help resolve those bottlenecks.”
The President will also “have a couple of announcements related to our own national stockpile of critical minerals and metals, our own resources that we will be devoting to trade facilitation to reduce blockages at key ports around the world, and he’ll have a couple of other steps to announce tomorrow as well.”
A senior administration official clarified remarks Saturday from US President Biden that talks with Iran are “scheduled to resume.”
Earlier Saturday, during a photo spray with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Biden responded to a shouted question from reporters on whether he wanted stalled negotiations with Iran to restart, saying, “They’re scheduled to resume.”
President Biden will hold a bilateral meeting tomorrow with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to a senior administration official.
Biden previously met with the Turkish president following June’s NATO meeting in Brussels. After that meeting, Biden told reporters the interaction was “positive and productive.” In April, Biden became the first US president to recognize the Armenian genocide, a move that risked alienating Turkey.
Earlier today: Biden met briefly with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Merkel’s likely successor.
According to the official, Biden “made the point that we need to see adequate supply of energy in this moment as we make the long-term transition to a carbon-free economy.”
After meeting with world leaders at the G20 summit, US President Biden attended Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome, according to a White House official.
Biden, who met with the Pope for 90 minutes on Friday ahead of the summit, goes to Mass most Saturdays.
Biden said Pope Francis had told him he was pleased he was a “good Catholic,” and that he should continue receiving communion, despite opposition from some conservative American bishops over his support for abortion.
Biden spent about half an hour inside St. Patrick’s Church. The President and first lady Jill Biden were seen speaking with some members of the clergy as they departed.
The President is next scheduled today to attend the G20 official dinner.
The leaders of the US, France, Germany and Britain said in a joint statement Saturday that they are “convinced that it is possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding on return to full compliance” on the Iran nuclear deal after talks have stalled.
After meeting on the margins of the G20 summit, the leaders said that a return to compliance would “provide sanctions lifting with long-lasting implications for Iran’s economic growth.”
“This will only be possible if Iran changes course,” the leaders wrote, addressing Iran’s new hardline leader, President Ebrahim Raisi. “We call upon President Raisi to seize this opportunity and return to a good faith effort to conclude our negotiations as a matter of urgency. That is the only sure way to avoid a dangerous escalation, which is not in any country’s interest.”
In a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised concerns about rhetoric from the French government in recent days over the issue of fishing licenses.
Johnson “reiterated that the UK has granted 98% of license applications from EU vessels to fish in the UK’s waters and is happy to consider any further evidence for the remaining 2%,” according to the statement.
Johnson and von der Leyen also touched upon on the ongoing disagreements between the UK and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol, with Johnson welcoming “the constructive talks which have taken place and are continuing between the UK and the EU” over the issue.
However, Johnson told the EU chief that “substantial gaps remain between [the two parties’] positions, including on the issue of governance, and noted that real progress must be achieved soon,” according to the Downing Street statement.
“The Prime Minister underlined the need to agree solutions rapidly to safeguard the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and reduce disruption to families and businesses in Northern Ireland,” it added.
Protesters and climate activists continue to march peacefully in Rome to urge G20 leaders to take action on climate change.
They’re marching, singing, dancing and chanting “Power to the people!” while holding banners reading “You G20, we the future.” There is a heavy police presence in the area.
Police say they expect 5,000 to 10,000 people to join. Protesters include workers who have lost their jobs from globalization, climate activists, communists, and trade unionists.
Italian authorities have beefed up security, deploying extra police personnel for the duration of the summit as a prevention measure.
Some context: At the G8 summit in Genoa back in 2001, Carlo Giuliani, a 23-year-old Italian protester, was killed by police during riots that broke out.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson believes “there is no chance of getting an agreement next week to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees,” he said during an interview with British broadcaster ITV on Saturday.
Johnson spoke to media outlets in Rome ahead of the G20 summit and answered questions on his hopes for the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow due to begin on Sunday.
Some context: Six years have passed since the landmark climate agreement in Paris that saw world leaders pledge to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“We have a moment now when we can try to take some of the nebulous commitments in Paris, solidify them into hard fast commitments to cut emissions, to cut use of coal and so on,” Johnson told ITV. “We want those leaders – more than a hundred of them – coming to our country really to focus on the commitments that they can make.”
Speaking inside the ruins of Rome’s ancient Coliseum, Johnson drew a comparison to the fall of the Roman Empire and the climate challenge facing the world today.
“You could not have a more vivid metaphor for the risks that humanity is running,” Johnson said. “The Romans thought that they were going to on forever, they thought their empire was going to flourish forever, and then, Wham!”
“The lesson is: things can go backwards,” he said. “Unless we halt that massive growth in temperatures, that’s the risk we run.”
All leaders of the G20 came out in support for a global minimum tax during the summit’s first session, a senior US administration said.
The new tax scheme will become official when the leaders release a communiqué on Sunday.
The official said Biden also “underscored his commitment to ending the global pandemic and securing an inclusive global economic recovery, including by supporting developing countries through debt relief.”
Biden “reminded G20 Leaders that new pandemics can arise any time so it is important that we strengthen global health systems and do more to create the global health security infrastructure to make sure we are prepared against the next pandemic,” the official said.
“The President stressed the need for balanced, well-supplied, and competitive global energy markets so we don’t undermine this critical moment of economic recovery,” the official said.
President Biden has commenced his meeting with European leaders to discuss next steps in negotiations with Iran.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Biden stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of their nation’s flags for a photo spray before the talks started.
When a reporter asked whether he wanted stalled negotiations with Iran to restart, he said, “they’re scheduled to resume.”
Biden didn’t answer any other shouted questions, and the leaders retreated to their conference room after a few seconds.
A senior administration official said ahead of time there wasn’t a concrete deliverable from the meeting, describing it instead as an opportunity for the leaders to get on the same page as Tehran continues enriching uranium.
Hundreds of protesters are gathering at Piazzale Ostiense for a march to the Bocca della Verita.
Police say they expect 5,000-10,000 people to join. Protesters included workers who have lost their jobs from globalization (jobs moved abroad), climate activists, communists, and trade unionists.
Britain’s Prince of Wales will call on G20 leaders to translate their “fine words” on climate into “finer actions” as he addresses the summit in Rome on Sunday.
Prince Charles received an invite to the G20 directly from Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi and with the backing of UK Prime minister Boris Johnson, a spokesperson for Clarence House told CNN.
Charles’ address is expected to be a plea ahead of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.
The Prince of Wales is expected to say he is “positive” after nearly five decades focusing on the issue but that “we must, now, translate fine words into still finer actions,” the spokesperson said.
Charles will also attend a reception and dinner Saturday hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome.
He will be greeted by Mattarella and his daughter, Laura Mattarella, as well as by Draghi and his wife, Maria Serena Cappello.
The Prince of Wales will then join leaders for an official photograph before attending the private reception and dinner Saturday evening.
World leaders are endorsing a landmark global tax plan that aims to prevent large companies from shifting profits to avoid paying taxes, a White House official said on Saturday.
The first G20 session on Saturday is on the global economy and pandemic, with its main objective being an endorsement of the global minimum tax.
The measure is one of Biden’s chief priorities. His administration believes the move will end the global race-to-the-bottom on corporate tax rates.
The new rule will be formalized when the leaders release a final G20 communiqué on Sunday – when the summit ends.
“Today, G20 leaders will support the establishment of a historic global minimum tax. We expect to see the GMT formally endorsed in the Leaders communique on Sunday,” the White House official said.
The Biden administration resuscitated the global initiative earlier this year, securing support of G7 countries in June, which paved the way for a preliminary deal in July.
Another senior administration official calls the measure more than just a tax deal.
Biden administration officials have downplayed the effect that Democratic infighting around a sweeping bill on infrastructure and spending has on Biden’s ability to rally foreign leaders.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi kicked off the G20 summit urging leaders to unite in the face of global challenges.
“Even before [the pandemic] we faced protectionism, unilateralism, nationalism – but the more we go with all our challenges, the more it is clear that multilateralism is the best answer to the problems we face today. In many ways it’s the only possible answer,” Draghi said in his opening speech.
The Italian prime minister also raised the issue of vaccine distribution disparities, saying leaders must be “aware” of the collective challenges ahead.
More than 70% of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose of a vaccine, he said. In comparison, only 3% of eligible people living in the world’s poorest nations have been given one shot.
“These differences are morally unacceptable and undermine the global recovery,” Draghi said.
In an open letter, WHO called on the G20 leaders to commit to increasing vaccine supplies for the world’s poorest, ensuring access to vaccines for refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and asylum-seekers and to support low and middle-income countries to combat the virus with “all available means.”
For every 100 people in high-income countries, 133 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, while in low-income countries, only 4 doses per 100 people have been administered, according to WHO.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have urged G20 leaders to tackle Covid-19 vaccine inequity and end the pandemic “once and for all.”
In an open letter co-signed by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and published Friday, they said:
“G20 leaders have the power to accelerate long-promised donations and to commit to breaking the hold that manufacturing countries and pharmaceutical companies currently have over access to the vaccines and how they’re made,” it continued.
“We can’t simply hope for the pandemic to end on its own,” they said, adding that “cooperation of historic proportion is the only solution” and that “lives literally depend on it.”
Italian authorities have announced a series of measures to ensure maximum security as protests are expected throughout duration of the G20 Summit.
More than 5,000 police forces will be deployed along with 400 Armed Force units, Italy’s Interior Ministry said.
Traffic for both pedestrians and cars (excluding residents and those with authorized access) will be prohibited around the G20 venue and surrounding areas, it said. The airspace over Rome will also remain closed for the duration of the summit.
Climate change activists blocking the main road leading to the G20 venue were forcibly removed by police earlier on Saturday morning, police told CNN.
Groups from across the social and political spectrum are expected to demonstrate in Rome throughout the weekend, with climate justice and vaccine inequality at the center of many of those protests.
On Friday, activists from charity groups held a flash mob in the Italian capital, calling on leaders of the world’s biggest economies to end the widening gap in vaccine inequality.
Italian authorities say they are beefing up security to keep protesters at bay and to keep the peace.
Many demonstrators will still remember the shooting of 23-year-old Italian protester, Carlo Giuliani, who was killed by police during riots that broke out at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001.
G20 leaders gathered for a “family” photo on Saturday morning before heading into their first meetings of the day.
It’s the first time the group have stood side-by-side since 2019.
Cameras caught US President Joe Biden speaking with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi before the photo was taken, pointing to Erdogan empathically.
No sound was picked up on the camera feed.
After the initial photo, world leaders were joined by first responders. Biden spent a few moments taking selfies with the first responders.
WATCH:
This post has been corrected to reflect that Biden was pictured with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, not South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.
US President Joe Biden arrived at the summit on Saturday morning, where he will address supply chain issues and energy prices as well as cementing support for the global minimum tax.
He stepped from his car and walked into the La Nuvola summit site outside central Rome with a wide smile, opening his arms to meet host Mario Draghi of Italy.
The men stood speaking for a moment before posing for a photo.
Biden arrived after a parade of other world leaders made similar entrances.
Biden is set to pose soon for a “family” photo before entering the first plenary session, which is focused on global economic issues.
The Biden administration breathed new life into the global tax initiative earlier this year, which secured the support of G7 countries in June and paved the way for a preliminary deal in July.
The President’s trip to Europe comes at a difficult time in his presidency however, with his approval ratings tumbling as Americans grow weary of the economic side-effects of the pandemic.
Biden’s trip also comes as Democratic party infighting has led to a stalled vote on a sweeping infrastructure and spending vote this week. The delay on that package has presented a significant setback for Biden’s trip, as he had hoped the package, filled with social programs and climate protections investments, would have passed before arriving at the UN Climate Conference in the UK.
The framework includes $555 billion in measures to combat climate change, a package Biden hoped to use as leverage to push other nations to make significant cuts to carbon emissions at the climate summit.
For now, it appears that he’ll be showing up to Cop26 in Glasgow empty handed.
Covid-19 has made it to the G20 summit.
A media worker tested positive for the virus on Friday and is now in isolation, according to Lazio region’s health department.
The positive case was caught before the worker was able to enter the media center, thanks to strict Covid-19 protocols, according to the health department statement.
Foreign media representatives are required to show a negative test carried out within 48 hours prior to entering Italy. Local media also must show a negative test every 48 hours to gain access to the summit.
All members of the media must test negative for the virus via a rapid antigen or molecular test every 48 hours, according to official G20 summit guidance.
FFP2 face masks must be worn at all times when inside the media center, according to the guidance.
Meanwhile, many world leaders arriving to the conference center Saturday were seen exiting their vehicles with masks on, but shortly took them off on the red carpet for a meet and handshake with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
