Turkish foreign minister to attend G20 meeting in Italy

By Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's foreign minister is set to attend a foreign affairs meeting of G20 countries in Italy on Tuesday, with a call to address global food security expected.

Mevlut Cavusoglu will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be hosted by the Group of 20 Italian Presidency in the southern town of Matera, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

"At the meeting, the importance of multilateralism and global governance as well as the enhancement of international cooperation within the context of COVID-19 pandemic and similar future challenges, and joint efforts for the sustainable development of Africa, including education, climate change, urbanization, and migration will be discussed," the statement said.

Cavusoglu will also participate in the Foreign and Development Joint Ministerial Session which "is expected to adopt the Matera Declaration and by this way launch a G20 Call to Action in order to address global food security and achieve the Zero Hunger goal by 2030," it added.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Cavusoglu is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of other G20 members and attending guest countries.

The G20 consists of Germany, the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, France, South Africa, South Korea, India, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the EU, as well as the IMF and World Bank.

"The G20 is the international forum that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80% of world GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet," according to the forum's website.