Zuma jets off to Turkey for G20 Summit
South African President Jacob Zuma would represent South Africa at the annual G20 Summit taking place in Antalya, Turkey, this weekend, the Presidency said on Friday.
Each year, the G20 brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies to talk about issues that are of global and regional concern, and to discuss solutions to these challenges.
The Antalya Summit agenda includes sessions on development and climate change, the global economy, growth strategies, employment, investment strategies (inclusive growth), financial regulation, international tax, anti-corruption and IMF reform (enhancing resilience), trade and energy.
The presidency said: “For South Africa, the G20 presents meaningful opportunities for advancing much-needed global governance reforms for promoting Africa’s sustainable development agenda.”
It added: “South Africa also supports calls for the G20 to show international leadership in helping to achieve progress in multilateral institutions, on the understanding that the G20 is not a substitute for the UN system, but should support and add value to what is being done within the UN context.”
During the summit, leaders would be expected to discuss the commitment the G20 made at the 2014 Brisbane Summit to contribute an additional two percent to global growth in five years’ time.
The presidency said the G20 Summit was taking place against the background of a gloomy global economic climate which had affected the South African economy immensely, in addition to domestic constraints. It listed electricity constraints, lower commodity prices and the slowdown in China as key risks to higher growth levels for the local economy.
According to the presidency, South Africa’s economy was expected to expand at a rate of 1.4% this year and around the same rate next year.
South Africa has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999. - AFP
(File photo: Gallo Images)