The customary group photograph of foreign ministers at the G20 meeting in Atlanta has been called off by the United States, following objections from European delegations, SVT Nyheter reports. The two-day gathering, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been marked by friction over the presence of Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.
Several European diplomats opposed appearing in a joint picture with Lavrov and threatened to walk away, according to the Associated Press. Rubio ultimately decided to drop the traditional "family photo" of all participating ministers entirely, AP's sources say.
Why it matters
The cancelled photo is a visible sign of how far relations between Russia and European governments have deteriorated, and it puts the strain on display at a meeting meant to focus on the global economy. According to Politico, two separate group images had been under discussion beforehand — one including Lavrov and one without him.
"It will not be a happy family," one European diplomat told Politico.
Estonia's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, was blunt when asked by Norwegian outlet Dagbladet whether he would take part in a shared photo with his Russian counterpart. "No!" he replied.
A meeting shadowed by disagreement
Ian Kelly, a former US ambassador, told AP that Lavrov's attendance could make it harder for the ministers to reach common ground on issues including the war in Ukraine.
Rubio opened the two-day session by stressing that the G20 countries need to "work together" to confront threats to the international economic order. The US has said one priority for the meeting is resolving differences over matters including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea, AP reports.
Sweden has no representative at this weekend's meeting in Atlanta, which is intended to prepare the ground for the full G20 summit in Miami in December.
What to watch: whether the dispute over Lavrov's presence carries into the Miami summit, and whether the ministers can still produce agreed language on maritime security and the war in Ukraine.
