The latest version of the 20th Summit held in Osaka, Japan, from 28 to 29 June 2019, was particularly important because of the tense atmosphere in which the summit was held, as tension between Washington and Tehran, the Beijing-Washington trade war, and US- Turkey, after Ankara's deal with Russia to buy the «S-400», as well as differences regarding the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union.

In this context, the 14th Summit of the Group of 20, an important international forum established in 1999 against the backdrop of global financial crises, was held to discuss several issues for the entire international community through a meeting of leaders of the world's major economic powers with some leaders of other countries They are invited to attend the summit, as well as representatives of a number of international and regional organizations concerned with those files (especially the IMF and the World Bank). The importance of this event may be demonstrated by the list of acceding countries, which includes 19 States, in addition to the Presidency of the European Union, to 20.

Tense contexts

The expectations of the observers for the outcome of the Osaka summit have fallen because of the tension and tension that prevailed among the two main actors ahead of the summit, reducing the chances of reaching understandings on controversial issues, which were reflected in many features.

At the political level, for example, differences over Britain's exit from the EU pose many questions about the EU's ability to coordinate its interactions on the world stage. On the other hand, growing tension between the United States and Iran, and the inability to reach an agreement between Tehran and Washington, is an alternative to the Iranian nuclear agreement, after the administration of President Donald Trump considered the agreement is full of holes and allows Iran to obtain funds and resources for its terrorist activities in the region Middle east.

On the other hand, tensions between Washington and Turkey (the NATO member) are boiling due to the Russian S-400 missile defense system purchased by Ankara from Moscow, where Washington sees Russia's missile defense system as incompatible with NATO's defense network, It is a threat to the F-35s, which Turkey plans to buy as well, and Ankara fears Washington could impose sanctions on it.

Thorny files

On the economic side, there were many thorny issues related to global economic growth, namely the global trade mechanism, the most important of which was the trade war between Beijing and Washington, which crystallized as the two countries failed to reach a trade agreement in May, To exclude the possibility of the two countries to reach an agreement during the summit of the 20, especially in light of Trump's remarks before his arrival in Japan, in which he stressed that China's economy is collapsing. This war has affected global markets, where many analysts believe they face the specter of a new global recession. Perhaps this has prompted IMF Director General Christine Lagarde to warn that the global economy is facing a "difficult situation" due to trade disputes and urged manufacturers The G20 decision to reduce tariffs and other obstacles to trade.

Outstanding issues

The G-20 summit was not limited to group meetings between invited members and guests, but also many important bilateral meetings that played an important role in the preparation of subsequent agreements and understandings. The Summit agenda included a number of political, economic and social issues, including energy, environment and climate, the digital economy, trade, agriculture, health care, education and employment. Following the summit and the issues on its agenda, a range of issues remain unresolved and are still being sought, although discussed at the Osaka Summit.

The most important of these issues are those of a global economic character, especially the sustainable development of the global economy, and measures to reduce the risks of economic volatility, especially as the G20 has identified a number of key challenges: globalization, aging, rapid technological transformations And the associated changes, as well as the need to coordinate positions on taxes imposed on services and world trade, as noted at the Summit.

Although the Group of 20 warned of growing risks to the global economy, the recognition that global economic growth was still weak, and that prospects were worsening as trade and geopolitical tensions escalated, the Summit avoided referring to the condemnation of trade protection and merely advocated a free and fair trade climate , Which is natural after talks described by several members of the group as complex and difficult. Japan, which is hosting the meeting, has tried to find common ground between the United States, which opposes the denunciation of trade protection, and other countries that seek to warn from TED And the risks it poses to the global economy.

The environmental issue was also one of the issues that remained unresolved after the Osaka summit. Although the G-20 countries have confirmed their commitment to fully implement the Paris 2015 agreement to combat global warming, they have not been able to find a compromise formula with Washington, which withdrew from it in 2017. The 19 + 1 formula remains the governing body of the Paris Group the climate. It should be noted that this agreement came after long and arduous negotiations, because of Washington's attempt to block the declaration, which took the form of the previous two announcements.

In the same context, US-Turkish relations are on the list of issues that the Osaka summit failed to find a solution. Despite the meeting between US Presidents Trump and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the dispute was not resolved. Turkish President Erdogan announced that his country would not back down from the deal. The weapons are controversial and expect delivery at agreed time.

Limited successes

On the other hand, the Osaka summit resulted in a number of issues that witnessed unexpected but limited developments, notably the agreement reached by the United States and China to resume their trade talks after a bilateral meeting between the US and Chinese presidents Xi Jinping, Came as best as possible, as both sides agreed not to increase tariffs on any of the two countries' goods at the moment. Trump also indicated that he would lift the ban on the sale of US equipment to Huawei.

The summit also succeeded in maintaining the average price of oil, a demand Russia called ahead of the summit. As Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak predicted, the 20 summit meetings contributed to providing more support to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) And its allies since the beginning of this year and by the end of June, by 1.2 million barrels per day, after the sharp decline in prices by the end of 2018. The Osaka Summit supported this trend on the basis that the oil market is very uncertain, although it seems balanced On the supply and demand side.

In the Syrian case, US-Russian cooperation and coordination seemed clearer than ever before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. In this context, Putin pointed out that his American counterpart was informed of the measures taken by his country in Syria, stressing that the two countries are in good contact with regard to Syria.

frustration

The outcome of the Osaka Summit has hit many international stakeholders with frustration over the future of the G-20 as a mechanism to provide solutions to global crises, especially with the failure to reach agreement on trade, climate and protectionist policies, prompting French President Emmanuel Macaron to say that the Group of 20 Closer to the United Nations General Assembly, which allows decision makers to meet in bilateral meetings and exchange views on important issues.

US-Turkish relations are on the list of issues that the Osaka summit failed to find a solution. Despite the meeting between US presidents Trump and Erdogan, the dispute was not resolved. Turkish President Erdogan announced that his country would not back down from the controversial arms deal, At the agreed time.