Leaders of G20 economies at a key summit here have made substantial achievements on development issues including consensus to advance anti-corruption campaign and set up a research centre in China on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery.
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As many critics have pointed out, when President Obama landed in Hangzhou on Saturday, he was not greeted by a red carpet at the bottom of his airplane staircase, as many other world leaders were.
“That is a very unsafe dynamic”, Obama said.
The official says Obama and Putin met for 90 minutes on Monday at the Group of 20 economic summit in Hangzhou, China.
“Clearly, he’s a colorful guy”, Obama said. “We haven’t yet closed the gap”.
The president said expressed concerns about cybersecurity issues with Putin, but would not detail the discussions.
Tensions on the tarmac also flared when a Chinese security official blocked US National Security Adviser Susan Rice and yelled at another US official who was trying to help journalists get closer to Obama. We have more capacity than anybody both offensively and defensively.
The news conference wrapped up a three-day stay in Hangzhou, in which Obama also met with the leaders of China, the United Kingdom and Turkey – all countries with complicated but integral relationships to the US.
But Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei could not bridge the divide despite two rounds of diplomacy, and left with only an agreement to meet again in coming days.
Referring to the presidents’ discussions, the official added: “We want an agreement to be reached as soon as possible due to the humanitarian situation there”. Kerry said that the USA wanted a deal with the best chance for survival.
“We welcome those G20 members who joined the Agreement and efforts to enable the Paris Agreement to enter into force by the end of 2016 and look forward to its timely implementation with all its aspects”, the joint statement said.
The official admitted, however, that there were still “significant differences” with the Russians.
“Despite everything, we have some alignment of positions and an understanding of what we could do to de-escalate the situation in Syria”, he said. “If we can not get the type of agreement we want, we will walk away from that effort”.
“Our collaborative effort with the U.S. in fighting terrorist organizations, including the ones in Syria, may be significantly improved and intensified”, Putin said at a press conference on the results of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China.
A half decade of war has fractured Syria. Nearly 2 million people in the city are without food, water and medical care, but al-Assad has largely refused to let the United Nations deliver aid.
“He recognised the new government would need to take some time before reaching decisions on some agreements pushed by the last government”. Late on Sunday, Syrian forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, seized control of the area, known as the Ramouseh corridor, and fully laid siege to Aleppo.
While both Russian Federation and the USA are battling ISIL, Moscow supports President Assad ‘s forces, including with direct military intervention. And the US must get rebels to break ranks with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, a task that grew tougher after its fighters last month successfully broke the siege of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and the site of fierce recent fighting.
“In the northeastern city of Hasakeh, a booby-trapped motorcycle was detonated at a main roundabout, killing civilians and members of the Kurdish security forces, according to the Syrian Observatory”, Alison says.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for five co-ordinated suicide bombings and other attacks that have killed at least 48 people in Syria.
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IS described it as suicide vehicle bomb that targeted a military checkpoint in the area west of the capital.
