G20 Foreign Ministers' Summit concludes in Atlanta, US

The high-stakes G20 ministerial talks that lasted from Friday to Saturday wrapped up without reaching consensus. The US chair's summary is very much focused on bringing end to the war in Ukraine and facilitating free passage in critical waterways.

Participants have pivoted toward preparing for the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit to be hosted by US President Donald Trump in Miami, Florida, in mid-December.

The two-day Foreign Ministers' Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, attended by the broader Group of 20 major economies, including China, concluded with a chairman's statement which referred to priorities that the group needs to address, ranging from energy and food security to freedom of navigation.

The diplomats say the chairman's statement, in place of a traditional joint communique, has long been the plan due to attendees' deep frictions over geopolitical and security issues.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who chaired the meetings, highlighted the importance of securing supply chains which also touched upon navigation in critical trade routes including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Addressing the friction over the Russia-Ukraine confict, Rubio maintained the United States holding direct lines of communication with Moscow was necessary because of "the danger of escalation in the future of something were to go wrong."

According to Rubio, there was growing interest by the international community in facilitating a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea.

He said the US was reviewing the proposal by Turkey and India on grain shipments as the country continues to press for a broader, negotiated settlement of the war, now in its fifth year.

"There's a very nasty war going on, very destructive war, what appears to be, in some ways, of a stalemate that has the threat of escalation and spreading into other places," Rubio said.

"So from us, the singular focus is how can we - is there an opportunity for the United States, because we talked to both sides to be able to facilitate a negotiated end to a very deadly, very costly and very destructive war?"

He didn't rule out inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the next G20 summit, to which Russian President Vladimir Putin was also invited, particularly if Zelenskyy's presence could produce "something positive."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu called on nations to take on their due responsibility and take concrete actions to serve as a force for safeguarding global security, stability and development.

The world is undergoing profound changes marked by tense geopolitical situations and a lagging development agenda, he said.

The official iterated Beijing's support for global cooperation on improving energy affordability, promoting transformation of the energy structure, and enhancing global energy governance.