Washington: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday (local time) that the United States is not taking part in the “official talks” at the G20 summit in South Africa, while sharply criticising South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his comments about the US.

“…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.

She clarified that the US ambassador to South Africa was only present to acknowledge that the United States will host the next G20 summit, and not as a participant in the current round of discussions.

“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,” Leavitt added.

US President Donald Trump previously announced that no US government official would take part in the summit, citing concerns over human rights violations in South Africa. Responding to Washington’s decision, Ramaphosa said the absence of the United States was “their loss” and that the summit would proceed regardless.

South Africa is hosting this year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, with President Ramaphosa presiding over the meeting from 22 to 23 November at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The Group of 20 (G20) includes 19 countries—Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States—along with the European Union and the African Union. The bloc represents around 85 per cent of global GDP, more than 75 per cent of global trade, and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.

(AFP)