British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was welcomed this Friday morning in Johannesburg by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the eve of the G20 summit.
A trip which comes a few days before the presentation of the budget, which should lead to an increase in taxes. Keir Starmer, however, declared that it was important for him to be present. On the sidelines of the meeting of the great powers, the Prime Minister plans to promote his support for Ukraine and conclude trade agreements. Contracts worth £400 million for trains, planes and submarines could be concluded.
But the November 22-23 summit could be overshadowed by the US president's boycott following widely rejected allegations that whites are being persecuted in South Africa.
South African President Ramaphosa on Thursday raised the possibility of a change of mind regarding U.S. participation, but those claims were later made denied by the White House.
For South Africa, the goal of this moment remains the same: to advance issues affecting poor countries, such as the impact of climate change, the cost of the transition to green energy and the spiral of sovereign debt.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will also not attend as he cuts international travel, meaning leaders of the world's two largest economies will not attend a meeting intended to bring together developed and developing countries to tackle the world's most pressing problems.
The G20 is a group of 19 countries that includes the world's richest and most developed economies. The European Union and the African Union, which joined the group in 2023, are also members, making it a group of 21 countries.
