Argentina was the only G20 country not to sign up to a global anti-hunger initiative set to be launched at the opening of a G20 summit in Rio, host Brazil said.
The decision by Argentina – led by President Javier Milei – deepens a political gap between the nation and neighbouring Brazil, whose left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is championing the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
The Global Alliance is an ambitious initiative pushed by Lula, a former steel-worker. It aims to eradicate hunger and poverty by 2030 and reduce inequality.
Argentina did not join the list of 81 nations joining the flagship initiative of the Brazilian Presidency of the G20, according to a communiqué.
Its membership is "under negotiation," a source in the Brazilian Presidency told the AFP news agency.
Milei and Lula, whose countries share a border, have had a tense relationship even prior to the Argentine's election last year.
An ally of US president-elect Donald Trump, Milei is a critic of fierce multilateralism and is leading a campaign of fierce austerity and public spending cutbacks to tackle Argentina's ongoing problem with inflation.
– TIMES/AFP
