Working on G20 joint statement with spirit of compromise: White House

United States is working towards a joint declaration at the end of the two-day G20 Summit and hopes that a 'spirit of compromise' will be brought on contentious issues

Washington: The United States is working towards a joint declaration at the end of the two-day G20 Summit and hopes that a ‘spirit of compromise’ will be brought on contentious issues, a White House official said.

The G20 Summit scheduled in the national capital on September 9-10 is being held amidst divisions among member countries on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While China and Russia do not want, in the ‘Delhi Declaration’ proposed to be adopted by the G20 leaders on Sunday, a mention of the ongoing war, countries of the European Union and other Western nations are pressing for Moscow to be declared as an aggressor and are seeking an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

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At a press briefing on Thursday on board Air Force One, after President Joe Biden’s departure from Washington to India, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan while responding to a question on the G20 joint outcome statement said: “We have been working all day and all night for a joint statement. In that we bring a spirit of compromise to a lot of the different issues that are contentious so that we can find a text that everybody can live with.” Sullivan said, there is ‘some distance to travel before a final joint statement is released.’

 “I will not make a prediction on that, I will say that the United States is ready to do our part to deliver a joint statement and we think there is a joint statement to be had and the question is will every country step up, be responsible, be constructive. If the answer to that is yes, then we will get a joint statement but it’s too soon to tell,” Sullivan said.

A day ago, John Kirby, US National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, had pointed out the possibility that the G20 summit might end without a joint declaration as Russia and the West continue to spar over the Ukraine war among other issues.

The United States is hoped that all the countries would sign the joint declaration in this week’s G20 Summit in India but with a signal that it is difficult to get a consensus as countries like Russia and China are less likely to “sign on” it.

G20 Sherpas in their fourth and final meeting in Haryana’s Nuh had made a last-minute attempt to reach a consensus over the proposed ‘Delhi Declaration’ to be adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of G20 nations over the weekend at the culmination of the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit.

India, insists that agreement on a final communique is within reach, despite geopolitical friction.