President Juncker at the G20 Summit in Antalya: state of play

Yesterday, ahead of the G20 Summit taking place on 15-16 November in Antalya, Turkey, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk held a joint press conference, during which they condemned the brutal Paris attacks. In this context, President Juncker called for a global response to the refugee crisis and warned leaders gathered in Antalya that the Paris attacks should not deter countries from protecting and relocating refugees on their territories. He furthermore stressed the importance of implementing tax reforms and agreeing to a legally-binding climate deal in Paris in December. A transcript of the press conference can be found here. Yesterday, leaders discussed development and climate change, the global economy, investment and employment strategies, as well as the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis. In the margins of the Summit, President Juncker had bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Together with President Tusk, he also held talks with the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, following which both sides welcomed the finalisation of the negotiations of the EU-Australia Framework Agreement, and agreed to launch negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement. The full statement following the EU-Australia talks can be found here. Today, discussions at the G20 Summit will be focusing on financial regulation, international tax and anti-corruption policies, trade, energy and the preparation of next year’s Chinese G20 presidency. The Leaders’ Conclusions will be made available online once adopted. Finally, Presidents Juncker and Tusk will hold a bilateral meeting with President Erdogan at 15:30 CET (16:30 local time) during which the refugees crisis will figure high on the agenda. All press material related to the G20 Summit can be found here.