US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Skip G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in SA

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will skip the G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa due to strained relations, as the Trump administration perceives South Africa’s policies as anti-American. This marks the first G20 meeting since South Africa took the presidency in December.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not be attending the foreign ministers meeting of the G20 countries in South Africa, as diplomatic relations between the two countries have strained. President Donald Trump’s new administration feels that South Africa’s policies are anti-American. It is the first meeting of foreign ministers from the G20 group of major economies since South Africa took over its presidency in December last year.

Last week, Trump cut aid and assistance to South Africa saying Afrikaners, who are descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers, were being targeted by a new law that allows the government to expropriate private land.

Bradlow said major powers such as China would likely look to fill any vacuum left by the United States in the multilateral grouping, but suggested other outcomes were possible too.

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The G20 is made up of 19 countries representing some of the world’s largest economies, as well as the EU. South Africa is the first African nation to hold the G20 presidency and its theme for the grouping this year is solidarity, equality, and sustainability. While taking over the Presidentship of G20, Ramaphosa said he would use its position to advance the interests of poorer countries, especially about debt refinancing and helping developing nations mitigate the impacts of climate change.