Rubio to host G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta on 30-31 October, with freedom of navigation, energy and food security on the agenda

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on 30 and 31 October, the State Department announced on 26 October. The two-day ministerial brings together the top diplomats of the world’s leading economies and is meant to prepare the ground for the G20 leaders’ summit that President Donald Trump will host in December.

According to the department’s media note, Rubio will “convene foreign ministers from the world’s leading economies to advance practical cooperation on shared economic and security challenges”. The note describes Atlanta as “a global hub of diplomacy, connectivity, and commerce”.

What is on the agenda

Washington says it wants to return the G20 to what it calls its “core economic mission” of driving growth, strengthening economic security and delivering results for the American people. In the statement’s words, this is happening “under President Trump’s leadership”.

Alongside that economic focus, the United States says it will work with G20 partners on “geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks”. The note names three areas: threats to freedom of navigation, energy and food security, and supply chains. It adds that global security and economic prosperity are “inextricably linked”.

Those themes track crises that Geopolitiki has been following. Shipping through the Gulf is one of them, as covered in our reports on Strait of Hormuz: Britain and France lead planning of the multinational mission, with autonomous mine-hunting already in the region. Food security is another, with Sudan one of the most acute cases, as in Sudan famine warning: UK and 31 partners demand open aid routes as 19.5 million face acute hunger. The State Department note does not mention any specific country or conflict.

Who is attending

The department has not published a list of delegations. Media reports say South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun plans to attend and is seeking bilateral meetings on the sidelines, according to The Korea Times. A meeting between Cho and Rubio had not been confirmed at the time of writing, the paper said.

The road to the leaders’ summit

The ministerial comes ahead of the leaders’ summit, which, according to Anadolu Agency, is due to be held in Miami, Florida, in December. The State Department says the Atlanta discussions will “set the stage” for that summit and for the wider economic agenda leaders are expected to take up.

What to watch

Whether the ministers reach a common position on freedom of navigation and energy security will only become clear after they meet on Friday and Saturday. Geopolitiki will report on any statements issued from Atlanta.