G20 can help find solutions to global challenges: Thakur

BENGALURU: Information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday backed multilateralism and said G20, representing countries with 80% of the global GDP, could contribute significantly to find solutions to international challenges such as climate change and geo-political tensions.

The global economy is facing the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, food and energy insecurity, broad-based inflation, heightened debt vulnerabilities, worsening climate change, and geopolitical tensions, said the minister, who also holds the youth affairs and sports portfolio, at the inaugural session of the meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank deputies.

"The G20 can make a significant contribution to find pragmatic global solutions to these challenges through focused dialogue and deliberations and the Indian Presidency seeks to actively facilitate this," he said.

The deputies began work on finalising the communique that will be endorsed by the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors during their two-day meeting that starts on Friday.