Biden holds press conference on last day of G20

The president will then travel to the United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday.

Global supply chain efforts

Earlier on Sunday, Biden signed an executive order to streamline storage efforts as he searches for solutions to supply chain bottlenecks, as part of a number of efforts on his final day at Rome for the Group of 20 summit.

The order delegates to the Pentagon the power to release materials from the national defense stockpile, which the White House says would allow a faster response to supply shortages.

On Sunday, Biden also announced increased funding to promote the resilience of the international supply chain, which he said would help US and international partners “reduce port congestion by cutting red tape.” And he’s asking his Secretaries of State and Commerce to convene a summit focused on the issue next year.

At an event he hosted on Global Supply Chain Resilience at the G20 in Rome, Biden also called on countries to step up efforts to address supply issues, especially related to security. national.

He told the group of world leaders at the event: “I urge all of you (…) to consider strengthening your stocks essential for national security in your countries. But like so many of our challenges today, this is not a problem any of our nations can solve through unilateral actions. Coordination is key. ”

Biden said the real way to resolve supply bottlenecks would be to end the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that this is “the ultimate key to unlocking disruption.”

Shortages of goods have become a political responsibility for Biden and are contributing to inflation. He called the special G20 session to address the topic, where officials say he will call on each country to identify ways to remove blockages.

Moody’s highlighted the differences in the way countries are battling Covid-19, with China targeting zero cases while the United States is “more willing to live with Covid-19 as an endemic disease.” The company also cited the lack of a “concerted global effort to keep the global logistics and transportation network running smoothly”.

Meeting with ErdoÄŸan

Earlier on Sunday, Biden raised concerns over Turkey’s possession of a Russian missile system and human rights issues during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, the House said. Blanche, in the midst of latent tensions between the two nations.

The two leaders met for around 55 minutes on the sidelines of the final day of the G20 summit, which is being held this year in Rome.

Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system was fiercely opposed by NATO and Washington, and marked a deepening of relations between ErdoÄŸan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden addressed these concerns directly with ErdoÄŸan, according to a reading from the White House meeting, while stressing “his desire to maintain constructive relations, expand areas of cooperation and effectively manage our disagreements.”

A senior administration official told reporters after the meeting: “The president also raised human rights issues, saying it is a set of issues – democracy, rule of law. , human rights – which are important to him. And that these are questions that he and his administration will continue to raise. “

The two leaders also discussed regional issues, including the political process in Syria, the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghans, the elections in Libya, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean and diplomatic efforts in the South Caucasus, the said. White House.

Biden will also hold his first solo press conference in months on Sunday.

Ahead of the meeting, Biden said he plans to have a “good conversation” with the Turkish president while standing by his side. Biden did not respond to reporters’ questions about whether he planned to raise human rights issues or whether he thought Turkey was too close to Russia.

Ahead of the meeting, an administration official told reporters in Rome: “Certainly the president will signal that we have to find a way to avoid crises like this in the future, and hasty action will not benefit. to the US-Turkish partnership and Alliance. ”The official added that the two leaders should discuss Libya and their defense relations.

More Sunday Events

Biden has so far ignored two of the more informal events held for G20 leaders at this weekend’s summit in Rome.

The president did not attend a performance on Saturday night at the 1,700-year-old Baths of Diocletian, where most other leaders were treated to a performance of Puccini under tall stone arches. Instead, the President attended Mass at St. Patrick’s Church with the First Lady.

On Sunday morning, many G20 leaders gathered at the Trevi Fountain and threw coins over their shoulders into the water. Biden skipped the event, as he was about to meet ErdoÄŸan, who was also not present.

In addition to the bilateral meeting with ErdoÄŸan, the president met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday afternoon, where the two leaders “reaffirmed the importance of the US-Singapore strategic partnership and discussed possibilities to build on the momentum. generated by the visit of Vice President Harris. in Singapore in August, “according to the White House.

Biden “expressed his desire to deepen cooperation with Singapore in the pursuit of our common interests and a free and open Indo-Pacific, including defending the freedom of the seas and advancing the resilience of the chain. supply, “according to the White House statement.

Biden also attended two G20 sessions on climate and other sustainable developments, according to the administration official.