US president heading to Europe Thursday for G20, climate summit

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden is headed to Europe later Thursday for nearly one week to attend the G20 Leaders and COP26 climate summits, and for bilateral talks.

Biden will visit Vatican City in Rome on Friday and have an audience with Pope Francis.

"They will discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor," according to White House.

Biden will also meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

The US president will hold a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Rome.

On Saturday and Sunday, Biden will participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

On Monday and Tuesday, the US president will travel to Glasgow, UK to attend the World Leaders Summit at the start of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

He will depart Glasgow for Washington, DC and is expected to arrive Wednesday.

It will be Biden's second foreign trip since assuming the presidency. He traveled to the UK and Belgium in June for the G7 and NATO summits.