Rome, October 29 (BNA): G20 leaders gathered for their first personal summit since the outbreak of the pandemic will face a global recovery hampered by a series of obstacles: an energy crisis spurring an increase in fuel and utilities. Prices, the new COVID-19 outbreak, and bottlenecks in supply chains keeping the economy fresh and goods going to consumers.
The summit will allow leaders who represent 80% of the global economy to speak – and apply peer pressure – on all of these issues. Analysts wonder how much progress they can make to ease the burden on people who face rising prices on everything from food and furniture to rising heating bills as winter approaches.
Health and finance officials will be seated in Rome on Friday before the G20 presidents and prime ministers meet on Saturday and Sunday, but the leaders of major economic players China and Russia will not be present in person. This may not bode well for cooperation, especially on energy issues as climate change takes center stage ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.
AOQ