U.S. must attend summit for formal handover of G20 presidency, says South African FM

Xinhua
19 Nov 2025, 12:45 GMT+10

The United States must send officials to Johannesburg if Washington wants to receive the Group of 20 (G20) presidency through a formal handover at this weekend's summit, South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has said.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States must send officials to Johannesburg if Washington wants to receive the Group of 20 (G20) presidency through a formal handover at this weekend's summit, South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has said.

"We are ready to hand over to the United States here in Johannesburg," Lamola said, adding that if U.S. representatives do not attend, South Africa will proceed with issuing the summit outcome and Leaders' Declaration. "If they want a ceremonial handover, they must come."

Briefing journalists Monday on preparations for Saturday's summit, the minister said South Africa is fully prepared to welcome world leaders.

"It is our firm belief that the outcomes of the South African summit will be ambitious and leave a lasting legacy for the cause of the African continent and the Global South beyond South Africa's historic G20 presidency," he said.

The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to take place at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and economic hub, from Saturday to Sunday.

In early November, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that no U.S. officials would attend the G20 summit, citing alleged ill-treatment of Afrikaners and "genocide." The allegations have been rejected by South Africa.

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