G20 finance chiefs abandon joint statement as US Treasury secretary absent

Finance ministers from the world's 20 largest economies will not issue a joint statement following their meeting in Bangkok, a significant departure from standard G20 protocol. The decision comes after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen withdrew from the gathering, leaving the delegation without its chief representative at the crucial talks.

The absence of a unified communiqué signals deepening divisions within the G20 on key economic issues. Such statements typically reflect months of negotiation among member nations and serve as important indicators of global consensus on fiscal policy, monetary coordination, and financial stability matters.

Yellen's non-attendance at the Bangkok meeting underscores existing tensions within the group, particularly between developed and developing economies over responses to inflation, debt sustainability, and emerging market vulnerabilities. The US Treasury Department did not provide detailed reasoning for her absence at the high-level gathering.

The G20 comprises the United States, China, Japan, Germany, India, Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and the European Union. The bloc collectively represents over 80 percent of global GDP and has served as the primary forum for international economic coordination since the 2008 financial crisis.