President Biden leaves Washington on Thursday to attend two major summits with world leaders in Rome and Glasgow, the second foreign trip of his presidency. Here's what's on the agenda:
Friday, Oct. 29: Vatican visit
Biden, who is the nation's second Catholic president, will meet with Pope Francis. The White House said Biden wants to discuss climate, migration and income inequality with the pope — three issues that figure prominently in Biden's policy agenda.Biden will hold a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the host of the G-20 summit.Then Biden will sit down with French President Emmanuel Macron. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since the unusually acrimonious and public fight over a U.S.-Australia defense deal that caused France to lose a lucrative submarine contract.
Saturday, Oct. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 31: G-20 summit
Two issues that have rocketed to the top of Biden's agenda for meetings with the world's 20 largest economies are soaring energy prices and snags in global supply chains. He wants leaders to approve a global minimum tax of 15% for companies around the world. He also plans to discuss an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative — a plan for wealthy countries to invest in infrastructure projects in developing countries around the world.Biden will hold one-on-one meetings on the sidelines of his trip with other leaders, though the White House has not yet released a list. Two leaders who won't be on it: China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Neither is planning to attend the summits.
Monday, Nov. 1, and Tuesday, Nov. 2: U.N. climate summit
Biden wants to help marshal commitments to cut climate-changing carbon emissions — promises leaders made at a similar summit five years ago in Paris. The goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).Biden has made a big pledge to cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030, from 2005 levels, and help lower-income countries with climate financing aid. But he has struggled to get lawmakers in his own party in Congress — where they hold a very slim majority — to agree to legislation to make good on his promise. He is expected to keep talking with people from the progressive and moderate wings of his party up until the summit begins, in hopes of reaching a compromise. Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.