Inclusive global governance must for peace: Turkish top diplomat

ANKARA

A more inclusive and representative global governance is a must for ensuring peace and security in the world and the G-20 should exert efforts to this end, the Turkish top diplomat has urged.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended the G-20 foreign ministerial that took place in South Africa’s Johannesburg on February 20 and 21 and addressed the organization at a special session devoted to the G-20’s objectives for the year 2025.

According to the diplomatic sources, Fidan underlined that the G-20 continues to be one of the most prominent forums for international economic cooperation, but it needs to take some steps to maintain its flexibility and actuality.

First and foremost, the G-20 should exert efforts for a more inclusive and representative global governance to ensure peace and security in the world, Fidan said, obviously referring to the discussions on the amendment of the U.N. Security Council, which currently has five permanent members.

The participation of the developing economies and regional actors in the decision-making processes should also be one of the mandates of the G-20, the Turkish minister stressed, advising that G-20 should strengthen its cooperation with other international organizations such as the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, ASEAN and the African Union.

The G-20 should promote connectivity projects through economic corridors in Central Asia, Caucasus and the Middle East, Fidan said, highlighting the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor and Development Project as two main examples to this end.

The minister has also underlined the need for fair burden-sharing in tackling refugee and migration crises and supporting the countries that host refugees. Food security, the fight against inflation and supporting supply chains should be better coordinated by the G-20, the minister stressed, drawing attention to the fact that peace cannot be sustainable if it is not supported through economic development and prosperity.

In this context, the G-20 should propose genuine plans for economic recovery and development of regions like Syria and Gaza as peace is very fragile in these conflict zones, the minister said. G-20 can be even more influential if it can realize the link between geoeconomics and geopolitics, he stated, calling on the organization to bridge geopolitical divides by using economic channels.

In Johannesburg, Fidan held meetings with a number of participants, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two men discussed recent developments in the war between Ukraine and Russia.