The leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations, meeting in the French coastal resort of Biarritz, yesterday agreed on a deal to provide US$20 million in emergency help to Brazil and its neighbors to stop the Amazon forest fires.
While they were not expected to leave Biarritz with a more comprehensive set of agreements or even a joint communique, US President Donald Trump and his Western allies appeared to have at least agreed cordially to disagree on issues dividing them.
These ranged from the US’ escalating trade dispute with China; how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea; and the question of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin should be readmitted to the group.
Photo: AP
Trump insisted during the Biarritz meeting that he was getting along well with other leaders of a group that also comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Trump yesterday backed away from confrontation over Iran, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron stunned other leaders by inviting Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif to Biarritz for talks on the stand-off between Washington and Tehran.
Trump told journalists that they had been wrong to report that he was blindsided by the five-hour visit of Zarif to the summit’s sidelines, and said that while he thought it was too soon for a meeting he had no objections to it.
Trump indicated an openness to discussions with Iran on a nuclear deal and said he was not looking for regime change.
Taking more heat out of the annual meeting, French and US negotiators meeting behind the scenes reached a compromise agreement on France’s digital tax, a levy that had prompted Trump to threaten a separate tax on French wine imports.
Trump skipped a session of G7 leaders on climate change at which they agreed to the US$20 million technical and financial help for the Amazon. Macron said Trump agreed on the initiative, but could not attend because of bilateral meeting engagements.
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