2013 G20 Saint Petersburg summit

Syria

The summit was dominated by questions regarding the Syrian civil war and any potential international reaction to the Ghouta chemical attacks. The summit came after U.S.-led efforts to obtain a UN Security Council resolution authorising military strikes against the Assad government had failed due to Russian and Chinese opposition. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom had defeated a motion regarding UK involvement in any strike on 30 August and U.S. politicians were debating potential action as the summit was ongoing.

Media billed the summit as a contest between U.S. President Barack Obama, trying to garner support for military action, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in opposition to any such action. 11 countries signed a U.S.-authored statement blaming and condemning the Assad government for the attacks and calling for a "strong international response".

Finance policy meetings

Russia, as this year's chair, hosted the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting in Moscow on 15 and 16 February 2013. While preparing for the September summit, the most pressing subject addressed – "desperately" according to Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty – was protectionist actions such as competitive devaluations. Japan, represented by finance minister Taro Aso, "escape[d] criticism" for the 20% drop in the yen that had stemmed from its recent reflationary policies. The "nations declared ... there would be no currency war and deferred plans to set new debt-cutting targets, underlining broad concern about the fragile state of the world economy", per Reuters.

Another meeting of the same participants was held in Moscow on 18 and 19 April 2013.

Attendance

This meeting was the second time an Australian Prime Minister could not be in attendance, with Kevin Rudd being represented by Foreign Minister Bob Carr, owing to the timing of a federal election on 7 September. In 2010, Rudd had been unable to attend when he was displaced as prime minister two days before the 2010 G20 Toronto summit, at which Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan then represented Australia. During the summit, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh focused on the ongoing economic crisis and urged the G20 nations to pay more attention to their monetary policies.

After a suggestion by South African President Zuma to invite additional representatives from African nations to St Petersburg, Russia's President Vladimir Putin declared that he appreciates this suggestion, and is ready to welcome leaders from the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to the G20 summit in St Petersburg.

Participating leaders

File:Cristinakirchnermensaje2010.jpg|ARG Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President File:Bob Carr.jpg|AUS Australia Bob Carr, Minister of Foreign Affairs File:Dilma Rousseff - foto oficial 2011-01-09.jpg|BRA Brazil Dilma Rousseff, President File:Stephen-Harper-Cropped-2014-02-18.jpg|CAN Canada Stephen Harper, Prime Minister File:Xi_Jinping_2016.jpg|China Xi Jinping, President|alt=ChinaXi Jinping, President File:Francois Hollande 2015.jpeg|FRA France François Hollande, President File:Angela Merkel - Juli 2010 - 3zu4 cropped.jpg|GER Germany Angela Merkel, Chancellor File:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in WEF ,2009 (cropped).jpg|IND India Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister File:Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, official presidential portrait (2009).jpg|Indonesia Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President File:Enrico Letta 2013.jpg|ITA Italy Enrico Letta, Prime Minister File:Shinzō Abe Official.jpg|JPN Japan Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister File:Enrique Peña Nieto, June 2017.jpg|MEX Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto, President File:Vladimir Putin - 2006.jpg|RUS Russia Vladimir Putin, President (Host) File:Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.jpg|Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Abdullah, King File:Jacob G. Zuma - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2010.jpg|South Africa South Africa Jacob Zuma, President File:Park Geun-hye presidential portrait.png|South Korea South Korea Park Geun-hye, President File:Recep Tayyip Erdogan.PNG|Turkey Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister File:Official-photo-cameron.png|UK United Kingdom David Cameron, Prime Minister File:President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg|USA United States Barack Obama, President File:Herman Van Rompuy at the 37th G8 Summit in Deauville 030.jpg|EU European Union Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council File:Barroso EPP Summit October 2010.jpg|EU European Union José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

Invited guests

File:Hassanal Bolkiah.jpg|Brunei Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan, 2013 Chair of ASEAN File:Hailemariam Desalegn - Closing Plenary- Africa's Next Chapter - World Economic Forum on Africa 2011.jpg|Ethiopia Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister, 2013 Chair of the African Union File:Nursultan Nazarbayev 27092007.jpg|Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President File:Macky Sall - 2008.jpg|Senegal Senegal Macky Sall, President, 2013 Chair of NEPAD in 2013 File:Lee Hsien-Loong - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 cropped.jpg|Singapore Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister, 2013 Chair of the International Monetary Fund and the Global Governance Group File:Mariano Rajoy 2015c (cropped).jpg|Spain Spain Mariano Rajoy, Prime Minister, Permanent guest invitee

References

References

1. [http://blog.russkie-prostori.com/russia/russia-will-host-g20-summit-in-2013/ Russia will host G20 summit in 2013] {{webarchive. link. (19 June 2012 , at russkie-prostori.com, 6 March 2012)
2. [http://en.ria.ru/business/20111104/168420185.html Russia to host G20 summit in 2013] {{webarchive. link. (8 February 2013 , [[RIA Novosti]],4 November 2011)
3. [http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_04_12/71468446/ Saint Petersburg to hold G20 Summit of 2013] {{webarchive. link. (8 February 2013 , [[Voice of Russia]], 12 April 2012)
4. (30 August 2013). "Syria crisis: Cameron loses Commons vote on Syria action". BBC.
5. "Obama: US cannot ignore Syria chemical weapons". BBC.
6. Kendall, Bridget. (7 September 2013). "Syria crisis: No clear winner in Russia-US G20 duel". BBC.
7. "The G20". Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
8. Palmer, Randall, and Kelly, Lidia (16 February 2013) [https://www.reuters.com/article/g-idUSL6N0BG0PP20130216 "Update 3: G20 steps back from currency brink, heat off Japan"] {{webarchive. link. (18 February 2013 , [[Reuters]], Retrieved 5 August 2013.)
9. [http://www.ctvnews.ca/leaders-arrive-in-canada-ahead-of-g8-g20-summits-1.525981 Leaders arrive in Canada ahead of G8/G20 summits] {{webarchive. link. (22 October 2013 [[CTV News]], 24 June 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2013)
10. Jorgensen, Hugh. [http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2013/08/07/The-G20-non-attendance-we-had-to-have.aspx If the G20 is so great, why isn't Rudd going?] {{webarchive. link. (8 September 2013 at [[Lowy Institute for International Policy]], 7 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013)
11. "Manmohan Singh urges G20 Nation to review their Monetary Policies".
12. [=http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/18129 Press statements following talks with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma]