Riyadh Prepares For G20 with Decisive Decision, Bold Measures

 Riyadh will host the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov.21-22 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh will host the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov.21-22 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Prepares For G20 with Decisive Decision, Bold Measures

 Riyadh will host the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov.21-22 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh will host the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov.21-22 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Few days before the annual summit of the leaders of the world’s largest economies, Riyadh is finalizing draft-decisions and recommendations that would be submitted by the G20. Those will be aimed at developing efficient solutions and bold action plans to enhance recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and restore growth to the global economy.

According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, the G20 secretariat's high-level meetings concluded that great efforts should be exerted to make the Riyadh summit “decisive” and capable of restoring hope and reassurance to the peoples of the world through a set of brave measures.

Work is currently underway to issue a strong and approved final statement for the G20 leaders’ summit, which would include commitments and pledges and underline the importance of solidarity and international cooperation to coordinate a unified response for the G20 members.

According to the information, the Saudi G20 presidency will hence highlight the following vision: “The health and economic challenges facing the world cannot be managed separately by every country. The world is interconnected, so there is a need to work together, while respecting the different views, circumstances and traditions.”

Riyadh will host the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov. 21-22, after a busy year that witnessed 180 conferences, including senior ministerial meetings and two summits.

Moreover, the Saudi Presidency of the G20 has taken rapid and unprecedented measures to protect the most vulnerable.

The G20 members have contributed nearly $21 billion to support health systems, develop a vaccine, and provide more than $14 billion to alleviate the debts of developing countries. This year’s presidency also saw the pumping of about $12 trillion to protect the global economy.



Lebanon Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Arrested

Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
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Lebanon Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Arrested

Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)

Lebanon's former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was arrested on Tuesday during a judicial hearing in the capital Beirut, a senior judicial source told Reuters.

Salameh has been charged with financial crimes including money-laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. He denies all wrongdoing.

Salameh was Lebanon's central bank governor for 30 years until July 2023. In his final months as governor, Germany issued an arrest warrant for him on corruption charges.

He is being investigated in Lebanon and at least five European countries for allegedly taking hundreds of millions of dollars from Lebanon's central bank to the detriment of the Lebanese state and laundering the funds abroad.