G20 foreign ministers to discuss global issues in Mexico

Washington, Feb 18: The first ever meeting of G20 foreign ministers would discuss pressing global issues including governance, trans-national crime, green growth, climate change and food security, US officials have said.

Organised by Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos, the meeting is to be attended by among others US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Several other G20 countries including France, China, Brazil and India would be represented at a lower level. Mexico is the current chair of the G20 countries and the summit would be hosted on June 18-19. A senior state department official said that the meeting is informal so it would not result in any formal statements.
"This meeting reflects, in many ways, the evolution of the G20 since the first summit of Washington in the fall of 2008, which, was designed to deal with the global financial crisis," the official said.

"This is going to focus on broad non-financial global issues, some of which have been discussed by G20 leaders in the past, but some of which are new to the G20 process or at least have not been emphasised to any great degree, including some broad economic governance issues, some environmental issues, development policy, and green growth," the official said.

During her meetings, Clinton would be amplifying some themes that are included in the broad G20 mandate, which is balanced and sustainable growth.

Although, she will not going to get into the details of the G20 financial part of the process, but she will call for an open, free, transparent, and fair global economic system.

Clinton will address things like anti-competitive government practices or distortions, which encompass the ways in which governments artificially distort markets or create uneven economic playing fields, the official said.

Among other things, Clinton will also highlight issues like climate change, freedom of navigation and maritime security to promote a well-functioning global economy; besides governance issues like fight against corruption and bribery.

PTI