G20 opens in South Africa despite US boycott
Shafaq News – Johannesburg
Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) convened in South Africa on Saturday without the United States, which is boycotting the summit, sources told Reuters.
The G20, founded in 1999 to coordinate global economic policy between advanced and emerging economies, includes 19 countries — among them the US, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and France — plus the European Union.
Washington’s boycott stems from President Donald Trump’s claim that South Africa’s Black-led government discriminates against its white minority.
A senior White House official, cited by Reuters, described the decision to finalize the summit’s draft declaration without US participation as “shameful.” The draft reportedly commits members to accelerating clean-energy transitions and increasing climate-finance support for developing economies.
Envoys agreed on the text ahead of the meeting, including climate-related language the Trump administration had opposed, the outlet said.
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