Johannesburg [South Africa], February 21 : US Charge d'Affaires to South Africa Dana Brown is representing United States at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in South Africa's Johannesburg, according to US Embassy spokesperson.
G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting is being held at Johannesburg on February 20-21.
Earlier, on February 6, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he will not attend the G20 Summit stating that "South Africa is doing very bad things."
In a post on X, Rubio stated, "I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote "solidarity, equality, & sustainability." In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America's national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism."
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1887288685517021298
South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2024 through to November 2025. The theme for South Africa's G20 Presidency is Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability. The theme guides the priorities of the Working Groups in both Sherpa and Finance Tracks and informs the High-Level Deliverables of South Africa's G20 Presidency, according to the official statement.
The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues. The G20 members include the world's major economies, representing 85 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product, over 75 per cent of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
The G20 comprises 19 countries including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, the US and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union. The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or staff. Instead, the G20 Presidency rotates annually among the members.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced that he has frozen aid to South Africa over a controversial land expropriation law aimed at tackling inequality stemming from apartheid, Al Jazeera reported.
In an executive order, Trump said the law showed a "shocking disregard" for citizens' rights and would allow the government to seize land from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation.The passage of the Expropriation Act, signed last month by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, followed "countless" policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity, as well as "hateful rhetoric" and government actions that drew violence against "racially disfavored" landowners, Trump said in his order, as per Al Jazeera.
South Africa has also taken "aggressive positions" towards the US and its allies, including accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and boosting relations with Iran, Trump said.
"The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests," Al Jazeera quoted the Trump's order as stating.
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