S Africa says G20 shared goals outweigh differences as it concludes summit

As the rotating presidency moves to the United States amid a new diplomatic row, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa claims the statement from the Group of 20 (G20) summit this weekend reflects a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation.”

Despite objections from the US, which boycotted the summit, Ramaphosa, the Johannesburg summit’s host, persuaded the US to support the declaration that addressed global issues like the climate crisis.

The president said the declaration at the summit’s closing ceremony on Sunday demonstrated how “shared goals outweigh our differences” among world leaders.

He emphasized that the G20 summit declaration sets out concrete steps to take to improve people’s lives around the world.

According to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the G20 summit and the COP30 climate summit in Brazil demonstrated how alive multilateralism is.

Lula stated in Johannesburg that he was pleased with the success of both events and that the G20 summit decisions must now be taken into action.

The host nation’s refusal to formally hand over the rotating presidency of the bloc to what it described as a junior US official, which the host country deemed an insult to its presidency, ended the summit with yet another diplomatic conflict involving the US.

According to South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, “The United States is a member of the G20, and they can still send anyone at the appropriate level.”

The leaders summit is held. The head of state, a special envoy appointed by the country’s president, or a minister are at the appropriate level.

The US has announced that it will lead the G20’s summit in Doral, Florida, at President Donald Trump’s golf club.

Trump canceled the summit of leaders from developed and emerging economies on Saturday and Sunday because of allegations that the host nation’s Black majority government oppresses its white minority, allegations that have been widely refuted.

Ramaphosa claimed this week that the US had changed its mind and wanted to take part in the summit at the last minute, which only added to the diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa.

The White House denied that and said US officials would only be present for the G20 presidency’s official handover. Ramaphosa claimed on Sunday that the presidency had moved to the US, though that didn’t happen.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, stated that Ankara was still considering how to possibly deploy its security forces to Gaza in order to prepare for an international stabilization force.

One of the signatories of the peace treaty signed in Egypt was NATO member Turkiye, who played a significant role in the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Erdogan asserted at a press conference following the G20 summit that the attacks in Gaza constituted a “genocide” and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to blame for them.

South Africa disregarded tradition by releasing a statement from the leaders on Saturday, the first day of the G20 summit to be held in Africa.

Summits typically end with declarations.

The US, which has opposed the group’s largely anti-climate change and global wealth inequality, objected to that declaration.

After Argentinian President Javier Milei, who is a Trump ally, skipped the summit, Argentina said it also opposed the statement.