During the summit, marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the heads of state and government discussed the global economic recovery, energy and commodity prices, health, the food and energy crisis, and the energy and digital transition. Sánchez today addressed the opening session of the Summit, which focused on food security and energy security.
The Prime Minister began his speech by stressing that the G20, for the first time, is directly affected by the war because one of its members, the Russian Federation, is waging a "brutal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine". Sanchez therefore stressed once again that Russia must stop the war immediately.
The President of the Government of Spain reaffirmed that "The food and energy crises created by the conflict in Ukraine are having devastating economic, social and developmental effects around the world. 828 million people go to bed hungry every night and energy prices have soared, putting the security of supply and the well-being of millions of households at risk. The world simply cannot afford it".
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The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, together with the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, upon arrival at the G-20 Summit | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa y Pool G20
Sánchez outlined to world leaders the keys to tackling food security: coordinating efforts and avoiding duplication; avoiding export bans and restrictions; and redoubling efforts to increase supply and reduce food prices.
On the subject of energy, Sánchez encouraged leaders "not to use the war in Ukraine as a pretext to backtrack on current decarbonization commitments", and insisted that the way out of the energy crisis is to accelerate the ecological transition and the deployment of renewable energies.
"If we don't manage to reduce emissions faster, we will end up spending a lot more, or even run out of time. So we must act now," the Prime Minister stressed. This is why Spain, a country committed to the fight against climate change, is committed to renewable energies.
Spain has been the first country to meet commitments to allocate 20 per cent of its Special Drawing Rights to the International Monetary Fund and calls for a "more ambitious" debt relief initiative for food insecure countries. "We must not let what is urgent prevent us from acting on what is important".
"The G20 was created to address global challenges in turbulent times. Today we are again called upon to show some light in the midst of the storm. Let us live up to expectations," the Prime Minister stressed.
Spain's agenda at the G20
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The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, attends the opening session of the G20 Summit, focused on food security and energy security | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa y Pool G20
As part of an intense bilateral agenda during the G20 Summit, the head of the Executive will hold a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of China, Xi Jinping, and another with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong.
Tomorrow, the President's agenda includes his intervention in the plenary session on digital transformation and bilateral meetings with heads of state or government of different countries and international organizations.
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UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION
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Original statement from La Moncloa (Spanish Presidency)