G20 finance leaders kick off meeting in US

The United States is hosting the Group of 20 finance chiefs for talks on the world economy. Global economic risks and how to respond to them topped the agenda at the outset.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stressed the need to focus on growth during the two-day summit in the city of Asheville in North Carolina. The US-Iran conflict is looming in the background of the event. Participants discussed concerns that inflation linked to rising energy prices could weigh on the global economy, and ways to deal with that risk.

It is also believed they talked about the need to secure supply chains for important mineral resources. The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors are also talking. Their discussions are believed to include Washington's new economic sanctions against Iran and the risks posed to financial systems by advanced AI models.