Argentine leader stresses global response to challenges

By Faruk Zorlu

BUENOS AIRES

The Argentine president on Friday highlighted the importance of global responses to challenges at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

Delivering the opening speech at the summit, Mauricio Macri said: "The global challenges require a global response. The solution is dialogue […] We have to foster sustainable development."

Marci acknowledged that there are “tensions between our countries” and said: “I would like to ask you to act with the same sense of urgency that in 2008," referring to global leaders meeting at the forum for the first time with the goal of mitigating the impact of the global financial crisis.

"We need to make a contribution and we can make a contribution to international cooperation, multilateralism global governance," the president went on to say.

"We see this as a gesture of support and acknowledgment of performance Argentina exhibiting globally after so many years of isolation,” he added.

The two-day G20 summit in Argentina began on Friday.

Some 15,000 people are expected to attend the meeting. In addition, at least 3,000 journalists are following the meeting.

The summit's first session will be about human values, global economy, future of business life and women empowerment.

The second session will cover sustainable development and climate, while the third will discuss infrastructure, energy future of sustainable food.

A joint declaration is expected to be published at the end of the summit on Saturday.