Foreign ministers from 20 of world's leading nations meet in Germany

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, meet at the Steigenberger Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Bad Neuenahr, near Bonn, Germany.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, meet at the Steigenberger Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Bad Neuenahr, near Bonn, Germany.

BONN, Germany — Foreign ministers from 20 of the world's leading nations met Thursday in the former German capital to discuss current conflicts and ways to prevent future crises against a backdrop of uncertainty among allies and adversaries over the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Germany's top envoy, who is hosting the two-day talks in the western city of Bonn, suggested that the election of President Donald Trump should be a wake-up call for Europe if its wants to prepare for challenges to come.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the European Union needs change if it wants to be taken seriously by global powers such as the United States, Russia and China.

"We have believed for too long that our way of living is best defended by the Americans," said Gabriel, a reference to Washington's cultural, diplomatic and military dominance of the West after World War II.

Gabriel suggested it was time for Europeans to leave their comfort zone and stand up for their values, if necessary by military means, without relying on America's support.

Officially, talks among the Group of 20 leading industrialized and emerging economies will focus on the 17 so-called sustainable development goals that the international community agreed to aim for by 2030. Recognizing and preventing future crises, as well as support for Africa, are also on the agenda.

But a flurry of bilateral meetings preceded the summit's official start mid-afternoon.

For many foreign ministers it was the first opportunity to meet with recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose team had set up a base outside Bonn.

The former CEO of oil company Exxon Mobil met with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Britain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the morning, and an encounter with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was planned later in the day.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Upcoming Events