G20 Agree to Help Poor Countries Affected by the Iran War

JAKARTA - Finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies agreed on Thursday (16/4) on the need to provide financial and humanitarian support to poor countries that are severely affected by the impact of the war in the Middle East.

After the meeting in Washington, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said in a press conference that there was a "common understanding" among finance ministers and central bank governors, who also discussed global economic imbalances.

With the United States holding the presidency of the group this year, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led the meeting on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings.

Reporting from Kyodo, Friday, April 17, Bessent spoke about the risks faced by vulnerable countries arising from the impact of conflicts, mentioning food insecurity accompanied by the potential for fertilizer shortages, according to Katayama.

Katayama said Bessent also explained the United States' position on its war with Iran, including calling on other G20 members to cooperate on sanctions against Tehran.

The G20 finance ministers did not issue a joint statement after their discussions.