G-20 Rome live updates: Day 2 to focus on climate

President Biden volition clasp a bilateral gathering Sunday greeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey connected the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, according to a elder medication official.

The gathering comes amid rising tensions with the U.S. state over threats to expel diplomats, including the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, and Ankara’s acquisition of a blase Russian-made aerial defence system.

The elder U.S. official, who spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon delicate diplomatic conversations, said the threats and the weapons systems would beryllium discussed Sunday, successful summation to issues related to Syria and Libya. Turkey’s tendency to get American-made F16s volition besides beryllium discussed, the authoritative said.

Erdogan precocious threatened to expel 10 ambassadors, including from the United States, France, Canada and the Netherlands, due to the fact that their embassies signed a missive calling for the merchandise of Osman Kavala, a philanthropist and civilian nine activist. Erdogan backed disconnected the menace after the embassies released statements committing not to interfere successful Turkey’s interior affairs.

The U.S. authoritative said that if Erdogan had followed through, the bilateral gathering would person been successful jeopardy. “I’m not really adjacent definite we would person had the gathering if helium had gone up and expelled,” the authoritative said.

“Certainly, the president volition bespeak that we request to find a mode to debar crises similar that 1 going forward,” the authoritative said astir the threat. “Precipitous enactment is not going to payment the U.S.-Turkey concern and alliance.”

Erdogan said past week that helium expected to conscionable Biden connected the sidelines of the clime acme successful Glasgow, Scotland, alternatively than Rome, and that helium would sermon issues related to Turkey’s suspension from the planetary programme that builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet.

The United States removed Turkey from the programme successful 2019, aft Ankara purchased the Russian aerial defence system, known arsenic the S-400. Turkey has said it is owed $1.4 cardinal it paid for F-35s it was aboriginal blocked from buying.

Despite the caller tension, Biden and Erdogan were seen speaking respective times Saturday. The 2 men chatted arsenic leaders posed for the “family photo” of G-20 principals. Then they were seen huddling with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson conscionable earlier the opening league of the summit.

Biden besides had a “brief” gathering Saturday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the medication authoritative said. It was an “opportunity” for Biden to talk with Scholz, who is trying to signifier a authorities and measurement successful arsenic Merkel’s successor.

President Biden has opened caller fronts successful planetary engagement this weekend, endorsing planetary accords connected taxation and vaccinations portion joining cardinal European allies successful ramping up unit connected Iran to revive the 2015 woody to curb its atomic program.

The Biden medication besides announced during the yearly Group of 20 acme that it had reached a woody with the European Union connected resolving a bitter standoff implicit steel and aluminum imports imposed 3 years agone nether President Donald Trump.

Taken together, the moves marked caller efforts to crook distant from Trump’s policies that included withdrawal from cardinal planetary accords, a snub of the Iran atomic woody and a scope of protectionist commercialized measures.

Perhaps the astir uncertain of the developments is the destiny of the atomic accord that acceptable limits connected Iran’s uranium enrichment and different advances successful speech for easing planetary sanctions. After Trump pulled retired successful 2018, Iran had announced higher-level enrichment — stirring alarm from the West and its allies — adjacent arsenic Tehran’s leaders importune they bash not question atomic weapons but privation to power atomic substance proviso for reactors.

Before a ceremonial meal of the G-20 leaders, President Biden attended a Saturday Vigil Mass astatine a religion successful Rome adjacent the U.S. Embassy.

Biden is simply a regular churchgoer, but his attendance Saturday drew accrued attention, coming 1 time aft helium met with Pope Francis. After that meeting, Biden told reporters that the pontiff had called him a “good Catholic” and said helium should proceed to person Communion.

The Vatican did not supply its ain mentation of events astir that facet of the gathering betwixt Francis and Biden. But Biden’s comments were capable to origin outcry among U.S. Catholic conservatives, immoderate of whom person argued that the president should beryllium barred from the beatified sacrament due to the fact that of his enactment of termination rights.

On Saturday, Biden received Communion, said Father Steven Petroff, the rector astatine St. Patrick’s Church, a mainstay for the American assemblage successful Rome, wherever Mass is conducted successful English.

Biden was attending Mass astatine the aforesaid religion which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited respective weeks agone aft her ain gathering with the pontiff. In Pelosi’s case, she was forced to permission Mass aboriginal due to the fact that of encroaching protesters rallying against Italy’s mandating a coronavirus vaccination walk for each workers.

Petroff said helium wasn’t definite Biden would be until respective hours earlier Mass.

“It was a spot of a surprise,” Petroff said. “It was precise nice.”

Once each the leaders had arrived astatine the acme tract — well, astatine slightest those participating successful idiosyncratic — it was clip for a “family photo,” the archetypal astatine a Group of 20 gathering successful much than 2 years.

The leaders took their places on 3 levels of a tiered bluish stage. Mario Draghi, arsenic the premier curate of the big country, stood successful the center. President Biden stood connected the farthest extremity of 1 side. Just earlier the representation was taken, 2 missing figures — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — darted onto the signifier arsenic others made room.

When those pleasantries were over, the leaders welcomed doctors and archetypal responders onto the level arsenic well, applauding arsenic they joined in.

Afterward, the leaders headed into a large, ovular hall, ringed by flags, wherever they volition statesman the ceremonial portion of Saturday’s summit.

A fistful of Group of 20 heads were missing from the photo. Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia person not flown to Rome, citing the coronavirus, and are alternatively expected to enactment remotely. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is staying location up of elections connected Sunday. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is besides not present, and has sent his overseas curate successful his place.