Political and economic experts have unanimously agreed on the importance of the proposal put forward by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his speech to the G20 leaders’ summit on Sunday.
Bin Salman has suggested that the G20 summit would be held twice a year, in order to accelerate decision-making and intensify follow-up of the outcome of the sub-committees’ meetings.
At the conclusion of the virtual summit, which was hosted by Riyadh, the Saudi crown prince proposed that the G20 group would convene in two summits every year – one virtually, mid-year, and the other in-person at the end of the year. Observers saw this proposal as important and necessary to reflect on the latest developments on the international scene and discuss the best mechanisms to address them.
During its presidency of the 2020 G20, Saudi Arabia has succeeded in bringing together the leaders of the group as well as international organizations amid the Coronavirus outbreak. The world has eagerly awaited its solutions to the crises that struck them as a result of the pandemic.
Dr. Fahd Al-Shulaimi, a strategic expert, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prince Mohammad bin Saman’s proposal was very important in light of the many instabilities the world was going through.
“The meeting of the G20 leaders twice a year would strengthen effectiveness and flexibility in implementing strategies rather than waiting an entire year for a decision,” he remarked.
He added that the virtual summit would pave the way for bridging points of view and would give an indication of what would emerge from the year-end summit.
Meanwhile, Political Analyst Nayef Al-Ruqaa underlined the importance of the Saudi role in leading the G20 summit.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he noted that the first proposal put forward by the Kingdom was working on the development of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. He added that maintaining international peace and security was among Saudi Arabia’s priorities even before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ruqaa pointed to other solutions presented by the Kingdom, namely postponing the payment of debts owed by the least developed or poorest countries, which benefited more than a billion people around the world, especially amid the severe economic and financial crises that overwhelmed the countries as a result of the pandemic.
In addition, the political analyst noted that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented an important practical proposal, represented in the holding of a remote virtual summit and another with the actual presence of the leaders. Ruqaa said it was a strong experience that could be used in the upcoming summits and a message that digital communication, e-learning, and digital economy would be the world’s choice in the coming years.
