On November 22-23, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the regular G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nagoya, Japan.

The meeting was the final event of Japan's Presidency this year in this major international economic forum, which has allowed participants to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the agreements reached and outline further steps for their practical implementation.

The participants paid special attention to the opportunities offered by today's multilateral diplomacy in restoring trust in inter-state relations, affirming the paramount importance of universal norms of the international law, and strengthening the system of global economic governance. They held a substantial exchange of opinions on three pressing issues on the G20's current agenda: promoting free trade and global governance, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and providing assistance to Africa.

During the open and constructive dialogue, many participants emphasised the need for greater multilateralisation in global affairs, as well as providing an impetus to the World Trade Organisation reform and combating protectionism and unilateral restrictive measures in trade. They expressed broad support for strengthening the IMF's resource base and expanding developing countries' involvement in the Fund's capital and governing bodies.

The Russian side stressed the importance of preserving the central role of the United Nations in regulating inter-state processes, which should be based solely on the UN Charter principles and universally acknowledged international regulations. The outcomes of the first Russia-Africa Summit, which took place in Sochi in October 2019, were also mentioned, with emphasis on Russia's cooperation with and assistance to African countries in solving economic and social issues and ensuring peace and security on the African continent.  

The Russian Foreign Minister's schedule also included a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, which took place on the sidelines of the meeting.