PM Modi to embark on three-day visit to South Africa to attend 20th G20 Leaders' Summit

New Delhi [India], November 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, November 21, to attend the 20th G20 Leaders' Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on Wednesday.

According to the MEA release, the Summit, hosted by South Africa, marks the fourth consecutive G20 meeting held in the Global South, underscoring the growing role of emerging economies in shaping global governance.

PM Modi will be in South Africa from November 21 to November 23.

At the Summit, PM Modi will present India's perspectives across the G20 agenda and is scheduled to speak in all three main sessions, the MEA stated.

These include discussions on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, focusing on trade, financing for development and global debt challenges; a session on building a resilient world, addressing disaster risk reduction, climate change, just energy transitions and food systems; and a third session devoted to shaping a fair and just future, covering critical minerals, decent work and artificial intelligence.

"At the Summit, Prime Minister will put forth India's perspectives on the G20 agenda. Prime Minister is expected to speak in all the three sessions of the Summit. These sessions are on - Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind : Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden; A Resilient World - the G20's Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Just Energy Transitions, Food Systems and A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence," the release stated.

The Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders attending the gathering on the sidelines of the Summit and will additionally participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting, which will be hosted by the African nation.

Last week, US President Donald Trump expressed his dissuade of not to be part of the upcoming G20 Summit, calling it "a total disgrace."

"Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

"No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue," the post read. "I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!"

According to The Hill, in May the White House told federal agencies to stop work on the G20 summit, scheduled for November 22-23, with Trump indicating at the time that the US would not participate.

Days before Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that he "will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg."

Following his remark, the South African High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, stated that the G20 has become "too big to fail" and will deliver a successful summit despite the US's boycott of the leaders' meeting.

He termed the US decision "unfortunate" but asserted that the forum no longer depends on any single nation.

"It's unfortunate that President Trump and the USA have decided not to attend the final summit in this first round of summits in South Africa. So even though the USA will not be present at the table, as has been stated by President Trump, the G20 has been established as a powerful global force. It's not dependent any longer on any one country. So the G20 has become, I would say, it's too big to fail," Sooklal said.

This year, South Africa will host the G20 Leaders Summit, with President Cyril Ramaphosa presiding from November 22 to November 23 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The Group of 20 (G20) comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), as per MEA.

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population.

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