International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola. Image: IOL
(The Post News)- South African’s International Relations Minister and Cooperation Ronald Lamola welcomes the announcement that US President Donald Trump will be represented by his Vice President, JD Vance, at the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in Johannesburg this November.
Trump told reporters at a White House media briefing on Tuesday that he will not be attending the summit. “I will not be going this year. It is in South Africa. JD Vance will be going, the vice-president. He looks forward to it, but I will not be going,” he said.
Trump added that he will host the G20 world leaders for the 2026 summit at his Doral golf club near Miami.
Speaking to SABC News in Mpumalanga on Saturday, Lamola expressed his approval of Trump’s decision. “We welcome the fact that he has assigned or appointed his deputy president, JD Vance, to be the one who attends the G20 in South Africa.
“We welcome this development. The US can assign anyone that President Trump deems necessary. We look forward to interacting with him on the platforms of the G20,” he said.
Lamola added that while only the White House could fully explain Trump’s decision, he was confident the G20 would achieve its goals and stressed that there should be no speculation around the matter.
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