Moon to attend G20 summit in Rome

President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap

President Moon Jae-in will attend a Group of 20 summit Saturday with other global leaders expected to focus on tackling the climate crisis and helping the world end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic and climate crisis are expected to dominate the summit, as COVID-19 is still undermining a fragile global economic recovery with related disruptions of supply chains.

During the summit, Moon is also expected to discuss how to share COVID-19 vaccines with low-income nations to fight the pandemic.

Attention has been focused on whether Moon will hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit, but Cheong Wa Dae said nothing has been decided on yet.

Moon held a meeting with Pope Francis, Friday, during which he asked the pope to visit North Korea to assist his peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

The pope positively reacted to the request, saying he was willing to do so if he receives an invitation from the North.

After Italy, Moon will travel to Glasgow, Scotland, to attend the COP26, a United Nations climate change conference, on Monday and Tuesday. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be high on the agenda at the talks, where the President will deliver a speech. (Yonhap)