G20 Agrees Refugees A Global Issue: Statement

Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a longer-than-expected discussion about whether, and how, they could agree on a deal, a senior USA administration official said.

North Korea added to the drama on Monday with the firing of three ballistic missiles off its east coast.

“If and when we have a meeting, this is something that is going to be brought up”, Obama said, referring to a spate of extrajudicial killings of purported drug dealers that have transpired since Duterte took officer earlier this year.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Sunday and the two will meet again Monday.

The United States and Russian Federation are working to finalize a cease-fire deal for Syria that would allow more humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country, as world leaders meet in Hangzhou China for the Group of 20 Nations Leaders Summit.

A Chinese newspaper has accused Western media of sensationalizing the gaffe during U.S. President Barack Obama’s tumultuous arrival for the G20 Summit in China. Saying that they discussed “a range of issues”, the American president noted the situation in Syria was the most important of them.

A senior United States administration official told Reuters the chat, which also discussed the situation in Ukraine, had a “businesslike tone” and went on longer than expected.

“We welcome those G20 members who joined the Agreement and efforts to enable the Paris Agreement to enter into force by the end of 2016 and look forward to its timely implementation with all its aspects”, the joint statement said without setting any deadline.

The two leaders conversed on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit here for ninety minutes, a senior USA official said, and worked to clarify gaps in negotiations over on the Syrian crisis. “And we’ve got a lot of planes and a lot of helicopters and a lot of cars and a lot of guys, and if you’re a host country, sometimes it may feel a little bit much”.

The G-20 meeting “must urgently find a solution” to excess steel production, said Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission.

China levelled responsibility at the United States and journalists for the fracas.

When the White House official insisted the USA would set the rules for its own leader, her Chinese counterpart shot back.

“I think he absolutely sincerely aims to reach results in fighting terrorism and resolving the Syrian conflict”, Putin said.