Leaders of the world's largest economies have gathered in the German city of Hamburg for the G20 summit which kicked off on Friday.
The event will focus on global economic development, but could be overshadowed by U.S. president Donald Trump's backtrack on the Paris Climate Accord.
Ira Spitzer has more from Berlin.
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VO#1 One hundred thousand protesters, twenty thousand police officers, and one world leader whom everyone will be watching. Since U.S. president Donald Trump recently announced his country would pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, the rift between the U.S. and Europe has widened. That tension is likely to be on full display at the G20 summit in Hamburg, which ends with the participants issuing a joint statement. Here's German chancellor Angela Merkel.
(SOT, Angela Merkel, German chancellor)
We know certain positions that the American government holds and I don't expect that these positions will be abandoned as a result of a two-day trip to Hamburg and that they suddenly won't show up in the communiqué
VO#2 European leaders made a show of unity last week, expressing their commitment to finding multilateral solutions to globa problems. China's president stopped by Berlin as well, before heading to the summit, a signal of cooperation between Berlin and Beijing. One of the most controversial issues is trade. Trump has heavily criticized international trade agreements and suggested that the U.S. could employ protectionist measures. As this year's host, Germany will be under pressure to make the defense of free trade and the Paris climate deal a focus of the summit, according to Claudia Schmucker of the German Council on Foreign Relations.
(SOT, Claudia Schmucker, German Council on Foreign Relations)
The G20 really needs to talk about the backlash against globalization and against fair trade and if they don't do that, you have serious legitimacy issues about this group.
VO#3 But that's not the only controversy shaping up at the summit. The first meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will happen on the sidelines of the G20, amid questions over whether alleged Russian interference helped him win the election. Here's Joerg Forbrig of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
(SOT, Joerg Forbrig, The German Marshall Fund of the United States)
I think it's not easy even for President Trump and his administration to conduct that meeting without fueling suspicions as we have seen emerge over the last couple of months.
VO#4 And if that weren't enough drama, anti-globalization protestors have already injured dozens of police officers as they try to disrupt the summit. Ira Spitzer, Berlin. //ENDS