US President Joe Biden will face a more skeptical global audience this Saturday (30) as he attends his first Group of 20 (G20) summit in Italy’s capital Rome as chairman.
Biden’s division within his own party threatens his economic agenda at home, and Democrats have recognized that American credibility and the future of his presidency are at stake.
Despite campaigning on the world stage to urge lawmakers to deliver legislative victories – especially measures against climate change that would add extra weight to his appearance at the United Nations Climate Summit (COP26) next week, Biden went without Appeared in the Eternal City. closed deal.
Along with this complication are questions from some countries about the US president’s commitment to working collaboratively on global issues following the chaotic withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan.
This weekend is the first in-person G20 summit since the coronavirus pandemic began, and calls on world leaders to discuss the Covid-19 crisis, global supply chain issues, a global minimum tax, high energy prices and the climate crisis. Looking forward to discussing combat. Subject.
The US president will raise energy supply issues and support a global minimum tax at the first G20 session in Rome this Saturday, a senior government official said. Both of these issues are at the top of Biden’s agenda at the summit of the world’s largest economies.
“The broad topic that will be addressed (on Saturday) is that the United States remains firmly committed to our allies and partners and to diplomacy at the highest level,” the official said.
The theme of the first session is the global economy and the pandemic, and its main objective will be to support the global minimum tax, which is one of Biden’s top priorities, which the White House believes will help companies offer the lowest taxes. to end global competition.
The measure would tax large multinationals at a minimum rate of 15% and force them to pay taxes in the countries where they do business. The Biden government revived the initiative earlier this year and won the support of G7 countries in June, paving the way for a preliminary agreement in July.
“In our opinion, it is much more than just a tax deal. It is a reform of the rules of the global economy”, the official said.
Aspects of Biden’s newly revealed spending proposal will support part of a global minimum tax plan, though the fate of that measure remains uncertain as Democrats debate the deadline.
Biden government officials underestimated the effect of party infighting on Biden’s ability to rally foreign leaders.
“These world leaders are really sophisticated. They get it. In any democracy, there is a complex process of doing something as ambitious as what we are seeing in our domestic agenda.” These are multi-generational investments and of course We are trying to reform the tax code to pay for it.”
The official said Biden also plans to “talk about short-term imbalances in supply and demand in global energy markets” during the first session of the G20. “We want to take this issue up and underscore the importance of finding greater balance and stability in both the oil and gas markets.”
Still, the official said Biden would not be directly involved in the decisions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on increasing supplies.
“We are certainly not going to get into the details of what happens within the group, but we have a voice and we intend to use it on an issue that is affecting the global economy.”
“There are large energy producers with idle potential,” the official said. “And we’re encouraging them to use it to ensure a stronger and more sustainable recovery around the world.”
Iran should also be on the agenda of the US and its main allies.
This Saturday (30), Biden will discuss with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, the French President, Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, on how to return to the nuclear deal, which aims to include Iran’s program, the White House said. said.
Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018 and Biden said the US would rejoin after Tehran fully complied with the accord’s sanctions on nuclear development.
The president is expected to hold additional bilateral meetings with world leaders while in Rome, although no official announcement has been made by the White House yet.
There will also be a traditional “family photo” of the leaders, one of the most photographed opportunities to meet during the summit.
The president’s talks with world leaders will be closely watched over the weekend, especially as he tries to ease a diplomatic rift with France, one of the United States’ oldest allies.
The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced a new partnership last month that includes helping Australia develop nuclear-powered submarines.
France says the deal was done in secret and jeopardized an existing billion-dollar contract to supply diesel-powered submarines to Australia. In an impressive rebuke of the announcement, Macron briefly summoned France’s ambassador to the United States.
On Friday (29) in Rome, Biden said his government was “clumsy” in dealing with a deal that deprived France of billions in defense contracts when he met with Macron, who seems ready to leave the field. Were – despite making it clear that Washington would need to prove itself credible in the future.
The meeting was the first time the two leaders had seen each other face-to-face after a tussle. Biden said he had the impression France had been informed “long before the deal” [com a Austrália] will not realize it”.
In addition to meeting Macron on the first day of his visit, Biden and First Lady, Jill, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Biden, who is Catholic, and the Pope met for 90 minutes. The president later said that Francisco told him he was happy to be a “good Catholic” and that he should continue to receive communion, despite opposition from some conservative American bishops over his support for abortion.
Biden was also received by Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
(translated text; read original in English)
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