ANTALYA – Leaders of the Group of 20 largest economies (G20) began their summit in Turkey on Sunday, just after the Paris attacks that killed 129 people, agreeing to step up border controls and aviation security, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.
Host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed world leaders to the summit venue in Antalya, in southwestern Turkey.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are attending the summit where they will be trying to find a resolution to fighting Islamic State (IS) which has claimed responsibility for the simultaneous attacks in bars, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris on Friday killing 129, injuring 352, including 99 in serious condition.
The Islamic State said the slaughter was revenge for French military action in Syria and Iraq.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius represented French President Francois Hollande who pulled out of the summit in the wake of the attacks.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also attending the summit, said he welcomed the renewed sense of urgency to find a solution to the civil war in Syria, adding that the world had a “rare moment” of diplomatic opportunity to end the violence.
European Union Council President Donald Tusk said the United States and Russia must cooperate in fighting IS in Syria, stressing Russia should focus its military actions there on the radical Islamists and not the Syrian opposition.
Europe is facing an inflow of 1 million refugees from the Middle East and Africa this year alone as a result of the Syrian conflict, which pits the forces of IS, Assad and the Syrian opposition against each other.
Russia joined the conflict a month and a half ago with air strikes in Syria, but has been targeting mainly areas controlled by forces opposed to its long-term ally Assad, rather than by IS.
Emerging evidence that at least one of the Paris attackers may have been an asylum- seeker who came to Europe via Greece and the Balkans has focused debate among EU leaders over security surround the vast influx of refugees and migrants this year.
The draft document on border controls and aviation security is due to be released in its final form later on Sunday.
The G20 leaders will also agree that migration must be tackled in a global way, according to another draft communique seen by Reuters.