Top diplomats from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies will meet in South Africa on Thursday for a two-day gathering focused on a wide range of global issues, though the talks are set to be overshadowed by a snub from the United States. As a precursor to the G20 summit in November, the foreign ministers will hold their discussions in Africa for the first time.
The meeting is set to begin at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) with a keynote address from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa, which took over the G20 presidency last year, is the first African nation to lead the forum. The country aims to use its leadership to ensure that the voices of poorer nations are heard by the wealthier G20 members.
The G20 currently comprises 19 countries, along with the European Union and the African Union, representing over 80% of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population. However, the group’s wealthiest member, the United States, will not participate in the talks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced his absence, accusing Pretoria of pursuing an “anti-American” agenda.
Key themes during the meeting are expected to include the ongoing wars and conflicts in Africa and Europe, according to Xolisa Mabhongo, South Africa’s Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. However, the geopolitical context of the meeting, particularly tensions arising from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, will dominate discussions. Priyal Singh, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, highlighted the “elephant in the room,” noting that heightened tensions between the US and its European allies could derail South Africa’s efforts to push a unified developmental agenda.
These tensions have been exacerbated by comments from US President Donald Trump, who recently appeared to blame Ukraine for the Russian invasion, following talks between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. The situation risks further straining relations and complicating the broader diplomatic efforts during the G20 meeting.
