PALMOILMAGAZINE, WASHINGTON, D.C. — The first G20 Sherpa Meeting was held in Washington, D.C., on December 15–16, 2025, under the chairmanship of U.S. G20 Sherpa Emory Cox, who also serves as Special Assistant to the President for International Economic Relations. At the meeting, the United States reaffirmed its G20 Presidency priorities under the theme “Unleashing economic prosperity by limiting the burdens of regulations, unlocking affordable energy options, and pioneering new technologies and innovation.”
These three priorities are aimed at delivering practical solutions to spur growth, create opportunities, and strengthen the global economy. The U.S. also revived the “back to basics” philosophy, signaling that the G20 agenda will refocus on core economic issues and ensure discussions among member countries align with the forum’s founding objective: promoting growth and financial stability.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is committed to restoring the G20’s core economic agenda and delivering tangible economic outcomes. President Trump will host G20 leaders at the Summit on December 14–15, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami,” the U.S. G20 Sherpa said.
The United States further underscored its intention to run a results-driven presidency by streamlining work to ensure effectiveness and impact. The U.S. Presidency will establish only four Working Groups (WGs): three under the Sherpa Track and one under the Finance Track. These include: the Working Group on Growth and Deregulation (WGGD) under the Finance Track; the Working Group on Energy Abundance (WGEA) under the Sherpa Track; the Working Group on Innovation (WGI) under the Sherpa Track; and the Working Group on Trade (WGT) under the Sherpa Track.
Indonesia welcomed the U.S. approach. Indonesian G20 Sherpa Edi Pambudi said the priorities resonate strongly with Indonesia’s commitment to sustainable development, energy transition, and inclusive growth. “Indonesia appreciates the U.S. G20 Presidency’s emphasis on fostering economic prosperity by reducing regulatory burdens, expanding access to affordable energy, and pioneering new technologies and innovation,” he said.
On the sidelines of the first Sherpa meeting, the Indonesian G20 Sherpa held a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart. Indonesia expressed its support for the U.S. Presidency and encouraged that issues closely linked to sustainable economic growth and finance remain on the G20 agenda, even if not addressed through standalone working groups. Indonesia also reiterated that the G20 is a consensus-based forum.
The Indonesian delegation was led by Deputy for Economic and Investment Cooperation Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Edi Pambudi, in his capacity as Indonesia’s G20 Sherpa. He was accompanied by the Assistant Deputy for Multilateral Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Director for Development, Economic, and Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as Indonesia’s Co-Sous Sherpa. (*)
Source: Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia
