ANTALYA, November 15 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Antalya, Turkey, on Sunday to attend a two-day G20 summit. Its first day will be devoted to terrorism.
According to Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov, the first-day programme will include a working breakfast of the G20 leaders; a plenary meeting; a working lunch and a reception on behalf of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Anti-Terror Struggle
The G20 leaders will discuss terrorism and the refugee problem at a working dinner on Sunday evening. "The leaders will exchange views on threats coming from terrorist organizations, the Islamic State in the first place. Possible ways of cooperation in preventing the spread of terrorism and extremism in the Middle East and North Africa will be discussed," presidential aide Yuri Ushakov went on to say.
The leaders will discuss the problem of forced migration from war-torn regions, Putin’s aide said.
Svetlana Lukash, the Russian Sherpa at G20, said that Turkey had changed the protocol of the working lunch and the working breakfast. Advisers and foreign ministers will be present at both events for the first time in the history of G20.
"Therefore, we expect a meaningful discussion on terrorism-related problems," Lukash said.
The G20 leaders are expected to adopt a separate statement on struggle against terrorism. Decisions on migration and aid to refugees will be reflected in the summit’s final communique, the Russian Sherpa said.
Climate
Apart from terrorism, the G20 leaders and the heads of international organizations will discuss pollution and global warming at the working breakfast on Sunday. The discussion is particularly urgent and important ahead of the forthcoming International Climate Change Conference in Paris (November 30 - December 11). Its delegates are expected to reach an agreement, which is replace the Kyoto protocol in future.
According to the Russian Sherpa, all the G20 countries agree that alarmism over the climate change problem is not an exaggeration and that relevant measures should be taken to prevent it.
Economy and Growth Strategy
The G20 summit is first and foremost an economic forum and its first plenary meeting will be devoted to ways of decreasing the high unemployment rate. According to the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the leaders will discuss the current global macroeconomic situation and a possibility to stimulate development through investments in major infrastructure projects.
"The G20 states are expected undertake a collective commitment to decrease the youth unemployment rate by 15% by 2025," Lukash stressed.
Second Day
Another plenary meeting and a working breakfast are scheduled for November 16. The plenary meeting will be devoted financial regulation reform; counteraction to corruption and the IMF reform. International trade and energy will be discussed over the working breakfast.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will give a news conference upon the summit’s end.
G20
The G20 includes 19 developed and developing countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, China, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Turkey, France, South Africa and Japan) as well as the European Union. The G20 countries account for more than 80% of world GDP or two thirds of the country’s population.
The G20 leaders who will attend the summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Barrack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The heads of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will also meet on the G20 sidelines. The leaders and representatives of the European Union, other European organizations, Spain, Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore and Zimbabwe will take part in the summit. U.S. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is planning to attend the G20 summit. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliev to attend the G20 summit as an honorary guest. The summit will assemble about 13,000 people. More than 2,000 accredited journalists will cover the event.
The heads of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Labour Organization and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development will also attend the G20 summit in Antalya.
China will take over the G20 rotating presidency next year.
The Venue and Security
In the wake of the recent terror strikes in France, Turkey has tightened up the unprecedented security measures in Belek even further. The summit’s area has been surrounded by metallic encirclements guarded by policemen stationed every 50 -100 metres. Free movement among the hotels is almost impossible. Shuttle buses will take journalists to the summit’s events and back. Snipers will sit on the roofs of hotels in which major negotiations and bilateral meetings will take place.
Turkish coastal guard boats will protect Belek from the seaside. Several Turkish naval ships and the U.S. destroyer Donald Cook remain off the harbor. Turkish F-16 equipped with air-to air missiles are on duty at Antalya airport. A plane equipped with the AWACS system is patrolling the Turkish airspace. It will be able to detect even the smallest drones over the summit’s zone.