South Africa says a declaration was adopted at the start of the G20 summit despite US opposition
JOHANNESBURG: World leaders from the Group of 20 rich and developing economies broke with tradition and adopted a declaration at the start of their summit in South Africa on Saturday despite opposition from the United States, which is boycotting the two-day talks in a diplomatic rift with the host country.
Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said a leaders’ declaration was adopted unanimously by the other members at the start of the talks in Johannesburg.
“Normally the adoption of the declaration happens right at the end. But ... there was a sense that we should actually move to have the summit declaration adopted first as the first order of the day,” Magwenya told reporters.
There were no details of what was in the declaration, but South Africa promoted it as a victory for the first G20 summit to be held in Africa that has been overshadowed by the US boycott ordered by President Donald Trump.
