The United States says it will prioritise economic growth, energy security and global supply chains at the forthcoming G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, scheduled for October 30 and 31.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the meeting, which the administration of President Donald Trump says will refocus the grouping on economic growth, security and practical cooperation.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is returning the G20 to its core economic mission of driving growth, strengthening economic security, and delivering results for the American people,” the US State Department said.
The meeting will bring together foreign ministers and senior officials from the world’s leading economies to discuss shared economic and security challenges.
According to the State Department, discussions will address geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks, including threats to freedom of navigation, energy and food security, and supply chains.
The gathering is also expected to help shape the agenda for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which President Trump will host in Miami, Florida, from December 14 to 15.
However, South Africa’s absence from the Atlanta meeting has drawn attention amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria.
South Africa, the immediate-past chair of the G20, has been excluded from the United States’ 2026 G20 processes, including the forthcoming leaders’ summit, following a deterioration in relations between the two countries.
The dispute follows Washington’s boycott of G20 meetings hosted by South Africa in 2025, during which Pretoria held the group’s presidency.
The G20 comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union and represents around 85 per cent of global economic output.
South Africa remains the only African country with individual country membership in the grouping, alongside the African Union’s representation.
AP
