External Affairs Minister EAM Dr S Jaishankar will visit South Africa for the Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) from February 20-21, the MEA said on Wednesday. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, the EAM will visit South Africa's Johannesburg at the invitation of the nation's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola.
The MEA noted that the EAM's participation in the G20 meet will further strengthen India's engagement with the member countries and bolster the voice of the Global South in this important forum. The External Affairs Minister is also likely to hold a few bilateral meetings on the margins of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Notably, from December 1, 2024, South Africa has assumed the G20 Presidency which will last till November 2025. The G20 comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, and United States, in addition to two blocs; European Union and the African Union.
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.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that he will not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. He cited concerns over the country's actions, including the expropriation of private property as the reason for the skip.
He also criticised South Africa's use of the G20 platform to promote "solidarity, equality, and sustainability" to promote "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and climate change."
(With ANI Inputs)