Asheville, Aug 31 (IANS) Restoring economic growth will be the central focus of the G20 finance ministers’ meeting, with the United States pressing members to give greater priority to wages and living standards, a senior White House official has said.
White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would hold a series of meetings with his counterparts during the gathering in Asheville, North Carolina.
“A big topic of discussion is going to be restoring economic growth as the north star of the G20,” Desai told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of the meeting.
He said Bessent’s discussions would examine what the major economies could do to “turbocharge global economic growth” and raise wages and living standards around the world.
Desai linked the US approach at the G20 to President Donald Trump’s domestic economic policies.
He said Trump was seeking to accelerate growth in the United States “by slashing regulations, cutting taxes and so on”.
“We’re really excited about the meetings that are coming up over the next couple of days here,” Desai said.
Asked about the likely outcome of the gathering, the White House official said he expected a broader change in the direction of global economic discussions.
“I think we’ll see a continued broader global realignment on getting growth to be our number one priority,” he said.
Desai contrasted that approach with the policies pursued by the previous administration under President Joe Biden.
“It’s a strong contrast to, I think, some of the more ambiguous and big climate change goals that the Biden administration and so on were pushing,” he said.
Desai said the Trump administration expected wider support for an agenda centred on faster economic expansion and improved living standards.
“I think we’ll see broad realignment on turbocharging and accelerating economic growth and raising wages and living standards for people both here in the United States and India and everywhere else in the world,” he said.
The meeting is also taking place against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and their potential impact on energy and the global economy.
Asked whether Iran and energy-related issues would be part of Bessent’s meetings, Desai said he expected them to arise throughout the gathering.
“I imagine that’s gonna be present in every conversation the secretary will be having with his counterparts throughout the next couple of days,” he said.
India is represented at the meeting by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Desai said he expected productive engagement between the American and Indian governments during the gathering and beyond.
“I think we’ll see a lot of productive discussions between the US government and the Indian government,” he said.
Desai also pointed to India’s role as a large and rapidly expanding economy. He said its growth created opportunities for American companies and industries seeking access to new markets and places to conduct business.
–IANS
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