G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brazil

Author: Ryan Baldry, Senior Communications Manager

In the run up to the second anniversary of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, this G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting was always going to be a challenge.

The meeting took place in order to set the agenda ahead of the full G20 Meeting which is booked in for November 18 and 19, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, with the presence of the leaders of the 19 member countries, plus the African Union and the European Union.

Opening the meeting, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said:

“The G20 is an increasingly relevant  global forum. Currently, an array of very different issues are part of the group’s discussions. Given the situation we are facing, however, this group is possibly the most important international forum where countries with opposing views can sit at the table and have productive conversations—without necessarily carrying the weight of the entrenched positions that have prevented advances in other forums such as the (UN) Security Council,”

The Foreign Minister also claimed that international institutions as they stand are not equipped to prevent conflict in their current form and called for reforms to global governance institutions.

In a closed meeting, it was reported the UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron confronted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and said that “Russia must be made to pay for its aggression”.

The G20 is a more challenging group for Western Governments due to the continued inclusion of Russia as well as other countries which have not declared sides in the Russia / Ukraine war like many nations across Europe.

The stage is set for a heated G20 Summit which will come just after the US Presidential Election and potentially after a UK General Election amongst others across the EU as well as the EU Parliament itself.

Cover Photo Courtesy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Flikr)