The German Foreign Minister spoke out against Trump's idea to exclude South Africa from the G20 summit
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement regarding the possible exclusion of the Republic of South Africa from the upcoming Group of Twenty summit in Miami. According to him, Berlin does not support this approach.
Speaking to students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Wadeful called South Africa “an indispensable member of the G20,” whose importance was underscored during last year’s G20 summit in the same city.
“Excluding South Africa means sidelining an important African voice and a regional economic and political hub. Especially at a time of growing global economic uncertainty, we need more cooperation, not less,” the minister said.
Last November, the U.S. president announced in a social media post that South Africa would not be invited to the next G20 meeting.
Wadeful also emphasized his interest in forging closer ties with South Africa, despite differences on key geopolitical issues such as Russia’s war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and China. As a member of BRICS, South Africa has traditionally maintained close ties with Moscow and Beijing.
“On some contentious issues, we can agree to disagree. And at the same time, continue to cooperate. The main thing is that we adhere to the same international principles,” the German minister said, according to Politico.
Germany will only allow dialogue between the EU and Russia if Ukraine is included
The escalation of the war in Ukraine may be linked to the Kremlin’s attempts to return to negotiations on terms favorable to itself. European officials reported this, noting that Russia is facing increasing difficulties on the front lines and in its economy.
The negotiation process with Russia is not at an impasse, but there are currently no ceasefire agreements in place.
