Milei confirms G20 attendance – and encounter with Lula

President Javier Milei will attend next month’s G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, ensuring a long-awaited  encounter with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The leaders of South America’s largest economies have traded verbal blows on repeated occasions in recent years, with Lula snubbing Milei’s inauguration in Buenos Aires last December and Argentina’s leader skipping a key regional summit.

They are yet to spend time together at a formal meeting given the hostility between them, with Milei choosing not to attend the last Mercosur meeting and sending Foreign Minister Diana Mondino in his place. 

Milei – who branded Lula a “Communist” and “corrupt” while campaigning for last year’s presidential election – has described the Brazilian politician as a “lefty” with an “inflamed ego,” along with other insults.

Lula, who has not been shy in responding, says he is waiting for an apology from Milei for the “nonsense” previously uttered.

"I have not spoken with the president of Argentina because I think he should apologise to Brazil and to me. He said a lot of nonsense, I just want him to apologise," he hit back.

However, the upcoming G20 summit is a chance to mix with top global leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 

It could also be a landmark moment for Mercosur, with diplomatic sources briefing that talks over the bloc’s long-delayed free-trade deal with the European Union are “very advanced.”

Local media reported Tuesday that Lula hopes to unveil the final agreement during the November 18-19 event, with Argentina’s Ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Raimondi, stating an announcement could be made in Rio or at the next Mercosur summit, scheduled for December in Montevideo.

The upcoming G20 summit is likely to be dominated by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already confirmed that he will not travel to Brazil for the event. China’s Xi, who has scheduled a meeting with Lula amid speculation that Brazil may join the Belt and Road Initiative, will be present.

According to reports, President Milei may seek a brief handshake encounter with Xi.

Argentina’s leader, speaking earlier this month, hinted he may travel to Beijing for a more formal bilateral meeting next April, when the CELAC-China summit takes place.

That would be a major U-turn for Milei, a once fierce critic of China who has since warmed to Beijing since taking office. 

In a recent interview, he backtracked on previous criticism to describe China as an “interesting partner.”

“I was very pleasantly surprised by China. It is a very interesting trade partner, because it does not demand anything, the only thing they ask is not to be bothered,” said Milei.

Mondino is expected to travel to Rio earlier than Milei to attend G20 meetings of foreign ministers, ahead of the arrival of global leaders. The head of Argentina’s G20 unit, Federico Pinedo, will accompany her.

Pinedo is among those leading the drafting of the final communiqué which will be signed by all heads of state present at the summit in Rio.

Milei’s ideological beliefs are likely to see him butt heads witih other global leaders at the G20 summit.

He has played down the impact of climate change, describing the theory as “socialist lies,” and has spoken out against moves to increase the tax burden on the wealthy.

– TIMES/PERFIL