WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will meet Pope Francis on October 29 before attending a two-day summit of G20 leaders in Rome where he hopes to reach an agreement on a global minimum tax of 15%, said White House officials on Thursday. .
On the second overseas trip of his presidency, Biden will then attend the United Nations climate conference known as COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, from November 1-2 and announce “key actions” on climate change. The conference’s main themes, including climate change goals and forest and land use, a White House official told Reuters.
Biden’s visit with the pope comes as some Roman Catholic bishops in the United States have sought to reprimand Biden for his support for abortion rights. Biden is a Catholic who attends church regularly. His wife, Jill Biden, will also attend the meeting with Pope Francis.
“They will discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for basic human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the climate crisis and caring for the poor,” the door said. -White House spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement about the meeting.
Biden’s visit to Italy and Britain for meetings with top world leaders is meant to signal that the US is reconnecting with international groups after former Republican President Donald’s four-year ‘America First’ policy Trump.
But the trip comes amid international frustration over the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, a rift with key ally France over a submarine deal with Australia and question marks over the ability of the United States to meet Biden’s climate goals as lawmakers from his own Democratic Party haggle over his multi-trillion-dollar legislative agenda.
Biden is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron while the two leaders are in Rome, the White House official said.
At the Group of 20 meeting of the world’s major economies, Biden will focus on reaching an agreement on a global minimum tax as well as tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and spurring global economic recovery.
At the Glasgow climate summit, Biden’s announcements of US cash and equity pledges to fight global warming will be closely watched by other countries and advocacy groups wary of the US record on climate change after Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord.
Biden brought the U.S. back into the deal after taking office in January and has since set a goal to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% from 2005 levels d 2030.
But achieving that goal depends in part on whether Congress passes bills that include climate change measures. Lawmakers could still negotiate that legislation when Biden attends the Glasgow summit.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell)
Copyright 2021 Thomson Reuters.
