Thabo Mbeki Confident G20 Summit Will Run Smoothly Despite Trump’s Absence

Former President Thabo Mbeki has expressed confidence that the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in November will proceed without disruption, despite US President Donald Trump confirming he will not attend.

Instead, Trump has announced that US Deputy President JD Vance will represent Washington at the global gathering in South Africa.

Thabo Mbeki: US to Assume G20 Presidency After South Africa

The United States is set to take over the G20 Presidency from South Africa at the end of this year.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Peace and Security Dialogue in Magaliesburg, west of Johannesburg, Mbeki emphasized that Pretoria has worked hard to prepare a comprehensive programme for its successor.

He explained, “I think it would still be seamless, of course, we would have preferred President Trump to come, but it is still perfect if Deputy President Vance comes. Our government is keen to hand over to President Trump.

“There is a lot of work that have been put behind G20. What we would hand over to the United States at the end of the year would be a very rich programme about the agenda of the G20.”

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Mbeki stressed that South Africa’s efforts will ensure a smooth handover, making sure that the absence of Trump will not diminish the impact of the summit.

According to him, the G20 will receive a “very rich programme” covering global priorities, ensuring that the US Presidency will be well-prepared to take over leadership at the year’s end.

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