President heads for G20 summit

THEME 2017: SHAPING AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD

Finance, energy, international relations ministers are on the SA team.

President Jacob Zuma is off to Hamburg in Germany to attend the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit on Friday and Saturday, according to the presidency.

South Africa is one of the 19 member countries of the Group of 20 (G20) which, in addition to the European Union (EU), the 20th member, has been meeting regularly since 1999 to discuss global economic policy coordination.

The G20, which was conceptualised to stabilise and strengthen the global economy, brings together the major advanced and emerging market economies, which together represent around 85% of global GDP, 80% of global trade and two-thirds of the global population.

Under the German presidency of the G20, the theme for the 2017 G20 Leaders Summit is Shaping an Interconnected World, with the sub-themes of “building resilience”, “improving sustainability” and “assuming responsibility”.

The Presidency said: “One of South Africa’s primary aims in the G20 is to provide strategic foresight in establishing an economic and international policy platform that will drive and negotiate the best possible outcomes for South Africa, Africa and the developing world. “An important part of South Africa’s G20 strategy is, therefore, the outreach to Africa.”

As the only permanent African member of the G20, South Africa utilises its participation to raise issues of concern to Africa with other G20 members.

Zuma will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba and Minister of Energy Nkhensani Kubayi. – Citizen reporter

SA’s G20 strategy is the outreach to Africa