European Council president António Costa praised South Africa’s handling of the G20 negotiations, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa and his team had done “exceptional work” in steering countries toward a unified outcome.
Speaking at a pre-summit G20 media briefing on Friday, Costa said Pretoria’s diplomacy had been central to advancing multilateralism during South Africa’s G20 presidency ahead of the leaders summit over the weekend.
Costa’s endorsement comes as South Africa pushes to secure agreement on a final communiqué, a task complicated by geopolitical rifts and divergent positions on global priorities.
“I would like to commend president Ramaphosa and the South African team. You have done exceptional work towards reaching an agreed leaders’ outcome from this summit. We are looking forward to the discussions ahead.”
Costa’s remarks come as the G20 Sherpa edge closer towards a declaration following the conclusion of intense discussions over the wording of the declaration since Sunday.
Business Day understands that discussions concluded on Friday morning as South Africa and the US continued discussions on the possible US participation in the gathering following a boycott.
The US has told South African officials that its boycott of the summit remains in place, despite Washington requesting that Marc Dillard, the US embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, oversee the ceremonial handover at the close of the meeting.
South Africa has denied this request, saying that it won’t hand over the G20 presidency to an embassy official.
The US will take the G20 presidency next year, and the handover ceremony usually takes place at the conclusion of the summit.
World leaders have started arriving in Joburg ahead of this weekend’s two-day G20 Leaders’ Summit as the South African presidency holds last-minute talks with Washington over the US’s role at the gathering.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were among those who have arrived since Thursday as Pretoria pushes to secure full participation despite geopolitical rifts.
“We have received notice from the US, a notice which we are still in discussions with them over, about a change of mind, about participating in one shape or form or other in the summit,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters during the South Africa-EU trilateral meeting on Thursday.
“The US is a member of the G20; they are an original member of the G20, so they have the right to be here,” Ramaphosa said. “And all we are seeking to do is look at the practicalities... for them to participate.”
European commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European council president António Costa met Ramaphosa on Thursday in Joburg and expressed support for South Africa’s G20 agenda.
In the diplomatic note sent to South Africa this week, the US also requested several of its officials based at the US embassy in Pretoria be given access to official discussions to be held at the Nasrec expo centre in Joburg.
It says Dillard “will participate in the G20 presidency handover ceremony as part of the closing session on November 23”.
Ramaphosa has pushed back, saying South Africa will not permit a junior diplomat to preside over the symbolic transfer that concludes the premier gathering of world leaders.
“The president will not hand over to a chargé d’affaires,” presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
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