Lula hosts Biden, Milei, Xi, and Macron at MAM as G20 summit begins

Cordiality with Argentine leader notably brief at just 15 seconds; Biden avoids main entrance ramp Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed heads of state and government to the G20 Leaders Summit on Monday at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM). Attendees included United States President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Argentine President Javier Milei. During the ceremony, Lula officially launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a key initiative of Brazil's presidency at the forum, which has already secured the participation of over 80 countries. South Korean president: 'Nuclear provocations will only lead to regime's end in Pyongyang' Norwegian prime minister: 'To reach consensus, we must be realistic' Milei's greeting was notably brief and lasted only 15 seconds. The demeanor and coldness of the Argentine president caught the attention of even his own country's journalists, who witnessed the interaction on the press room's big screen. Watch the video: Milei arrives at G20 summit and is received by Lula The chilly interaction with Lula was anticipated, given Milei's opposition to key proposals of Brazil's G20 presidency. Initially absent from the Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty's participant list, Argentina chose to join the initiative, which is expected to be a hallmark of Brazil's G20 presidency and was the day's first official event. Milei and Lula, whose countries share a border, have had a tense relationship even before the Argentine leader took office in December. Milei is a critic of multilateralism and is leading a significant austerity policy in Argentina amid efforts to combat inflation. Accompanied by his sister and Argentine Presidential Secretary-General Karina Milei, the Argentine president arrived at MAM, as usual, carrying a briefcase and showing little warmth. Milei arrived in Rio late Sunday afternoon, stayed at the Othon Palace Hotel in Copacabana, and did not leave even for dinner. As is his custom, he remained in his room, maintaining contact only with his closest aides, primarily his sister and right-hand person. U.S. President Joe Biden joins Lula at G20 summit opening Press Release Meanwhile, the American president broke protocol upon entering the summit. Upon arriving at MAM, Biden avoided the main entrance ramp leading to Lula and instead used a restricted access inside the building. After a few minutes of uncertainty, the American leader reappeared to greet his Brazilian counterpart. The walk from the disembarkation point to the meeting entrance via the ramp takes about two minutes. Biden's physical and mental health, at age 81, has been questioned multiple times during his administration, contributing to his decision to not pursue re-election in July. Videos of the American president struggling with mobility, stumbling, or appearing lost at various events have gone viral throughout the year. G20 Social: Final statement advocates taxing the ultra-wealthy and condemns far-right misinformation Fun in Rio: 20 paired activities for the G20 holiday weekend in Rio de Janeiro The exchange with the French president was warm. In Rio, Macron has acted as a spokesperson for French farmers concerning the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, stating on Saturday that "France is against" the deal. Lula also greeted other leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He also warmly welcomed the African Union President Mohamed Ould Cheikh al-Ghazouani, whose bloc is participating in the G20 for the first time, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country will succeed Brazil in the group's presidency in 2025. Lula also greeted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. President Vladimir Putin was invited but declined the invitation. Putin is subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant related to the war in Ukraine. ICC member countries, like Brazil, are theoretically obligated to arrest Putin if he enters their territories. The court has reminded its member countries of their "obligation" to detain individuals under an arrest warrant. However, in practice, the ICC lacks its own coercive power. Alongside good relations between Lula and Putin, Brazil and Russia are partners in BRICS and maintain important trade relations in strategic sectors. The first session of the leaders' meeting was titled "Combating Hunger and Poverty," where the presidency launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. In the afternoon, at 2:30 p.m. Brasília time, leaders will hold the second meeting of the day, titled "Reforming Global Governance Institutions." Multilateralism is the second major proposal of the government for its rotating presidency. The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.