Modi to join Global South-led G20 talks as Washington refuses to attend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to participate in the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced. According to the MEA, the meeting marks the fourth consecutive G20 summit held in the Global South, reflecting the increasing weight of emerging economies in global decision-making. Modi will remain in South Africa until 23 November.
The MEA said the Prime Minister will outline India’s perspectives across the full G20 agenda and is scheduled to address all three principal sessions of the summit. Discussions will cover inclusive and sustainable economic growth, with attention on trade, development finance and rising global debt pressures. A second session will focus on building a resilient world, addressing disaster risk reduction, climate change, just energy transitions and food systems. The final session will explore what the South African presidency has described as a fair and just future, including cooperation on critical minerals, decent work and artificial intelligence.
The MEA reiterated this agenda in its formal statement, noting that: “At the Summit, Prime Minister will put forth India’s perspectives on the G20 agenda. Prime Minister is expected to speak in all the three sessions of the Summit. These sessions are on – Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden; A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Just Energy Transitions, Food Systems and A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.”
Aside from the multilateral sessions, Modi is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders on the margins of the summit. He will also participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting, a trilateral grouping that is being hosted by South Africa this year.
The build-up to the summit has been overshadowed by the United States’ decision not to send official representation. Last week, US President Donald Trump criticised the event and the South African government, stating that he would not allow any US government officials to attend. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated.” He added: “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue,” and concluded by saying, “I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!”
The White House had instructed federal agencies to stop preparing for the summit scheduled for 22–23 November, after Trump signalled that the US would not participate. Days before Trump’s comments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that he “will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.”
South African officials have publicly downplayed the impact of the US boycott. Anil Sooklal, the South African High Commissioner to India, described the absence as “unfortunate” but insisted that the grouping remains resilient. He said the G20 had matured into a global institution that no longer depends on any single country, adding: “It’s unfortunate that President Trump and the USA have decided not to attend the final summit in this first round of summits in South Africa. So even though the USA will not be present at the table, as has been stated by President Trump, the G20 has been established as a powerful global force. It’s not dependent any longer on any one country. So the G20 has become, I would say, it’s too big to fail.”
South Africa will host the leaders’ meeting from 22 to 23 November at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, with President Cyril Ramaphosa presiding. The country’s presidency has emphasised development cooperation, African priorities and strengthening multilateralism as core themes of its G20 year.
The G20 comprises 19 countries—Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States—along with two regional blocs, the European Union and the African Union. According to the MEA, the grouping represents around 85 per cent of global GDP, more than 75 per cent of global trade and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.
