Washington, DC [US], November 21 : White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday (local time) said that the United States is not "participating" in the "official talks" at the G20 in South Africa.
Leavitt also accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of speaking negatively about the US, stating that President Donald Trump and his team do not appreciate such language.
"... The United States is not participating in the official talks at the G20 in South Africa. I saw the South African President running his mouth a little bit against the US and the US President earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the President or his team," Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing.
The White House Press Secretary also clarified that the US envoy to South Africa "is simply there to recognise that the US will be the host of the G20"
"The Ambassador of the US to South Africa is simply there to recognise that the US will be the host of the G20. They are receiving that send-off at the end of the event. They are not there to participate in official talks, despite what the South African President is falsely claiming," Secretary Karoline Leavitt added.
Notably, US President Donald Trump has announced that no US government official will participate in the G20 summit, citing human rights violations in South Africa. In response, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that the US absence is "their loss" and that Pretoria will proceed with the summit regardless.
This year, South Africa will host the G20 Leaders Summit, with President Cyril Ramaphosa presiding from November 22 to November 23 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
The Group of 20 (G20) comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), as per MEA.
The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population.