Democratic Alliance leader and agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has criticised the United States for its decision to stay away from this weekend’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, describing the move as inappropriate for an incoming host nation.
Steenhuisen said the US had done little to strengthen its global standing by skipping most of this year’s G20 meetings and distancing itself from the broader international community.
He added that he shared President Cyril Ramaphosa’s view that it was improper for Washington to send only an embassy delegation to assume the presidency for the next cycle.
With South Africa set to be part of the troika of G20 hosts next year, Steenhuisen argued that it would have been more constructive for the US to have engaged fully in this year’s programme.
Differences among G20 members are expected, he noted, but incoming hosts typically participate actively regardless of disagreements.
He said South Africa would continue to play a significant role at next year’s summit, building on the work it has undertaken during its presidency.
Steenhuisen also acknowledged that the absence of the US from agriculture discussions posed difficulties, but he remained confident that the overall outcomes from this year’s meetings were still strong.
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