South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday that he hopes President Donald Trump will attend the G-20 summit later this year, as South Africa prepares to hand over the presidency of the forum to the United States.
“We are privileged and honored to be the president of G-20, but we are overjoyed to hand it over to the U.S., where it originated,” Ramaphosa said alongside Trump in the Oval Office. “For that reason, I expect the U.S. to continue playing the leadership role along with other countries.”
Trump did not confirm whether he will attend but made clear his view of the forum’s significance. “Without the U.S., the G-20 will not be very important,” he said. “It’s not the same meaning.”
Ramaphosa said the summit, set for November, would focus on global investment, fair trade, and strategic partnerships, and called for a “recalibration” of ties with Washington.
