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The G20 summit seeks to address the Coronavirus outbreak and the suffocating global economic crisis, but holding it up on a screen limits bilateral dialogue and interactions behind the scenes. The launch of the global event was not without some fun and spontaneous shots: One person told the Saudi monarch that “the whole world is watching” before his speech, while the Chinese president requested technical assistance.
The following are the most important things to know about hosting the summit in its default format:
disappointment
The summit was supposed to mark a strong return for Saudi Arabia to the world stage. The kingdom planned to host a major summit that would have shed more light on the ambitious opening campaign of the de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose international reputation was tarnished after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 2018. However, the epidemic that made the video-only summit impossible has greatly undermined those hopes.
“This year’s G20 conference will be a disappointment for Saudi Arabia because the hypothetical conference will not review developments in the kingdom in the way Riyadh expects,” said Ryan Pohl, Stratfor researcher for geopolitical research.
Trump factor
US President Donald Trump went golfing after briefly looking at the summit. A follow-up source mentioned virtual sessions. Which was closed to the media, that Trump “said he did a wonderful job during his time, economically and in relation to the epidemic.” After Trump left, Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin represented him as the rest of the world leaders spoke.
technical problems
The broadcast of King Salman’s opening speech appeared to start earlier than planned and was quickly stopped when someone noticed this and warned the Saudi monarch. Other world leaders appeared in miniatures on a screen of an image of King Salman, and some appeared to be experiencing technical difficulties.
An aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping used a remote control in front of the on-screen camera, while French President Emmanuel Macron was apparently sipping a soda. Angel Gurría, the OECD official, soon realized that the meeting had started and immediately turned off his mobile phone.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who turns 15 in power on Sunday, seemed in a comfortable position, following the word with great concentration, while Trump was busy with something on the table in front of him, it could be his phone.
John Kirton, director and founder of the Canada-based Group of Twenty Research, believes that “the virtual world makes it difficult for leaders to communicate automatically and cancels side meetings on issues that are not on the summit agenda.”
Carbon footprint
Private jets for VIPs were absent from the Kingdom’s airports, reducing the event’s carbon footprint, in addition to the absence of caravans, which would have caused a traffic stop in some areas of Riyadh. A new metro line that was scheduled to open in Riyadh during the summit did not bear fruit.
Virtual image
The lack of a complete picture of the leaders has reminded us of the new coronavirus restrictions on circulation and meetings. This photo and other side images were the most important event at the beginning of G20 summits in the past, including the famous handshake between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Buenos Aires in 2018. Instead, a composite shot of the leaders was shown on a city wall. Diriyah during a dinner on the eve of the summit.
Source: French press agency
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