Argentina officially joined the US as one of only two countries to voice their objections to the G20 declaration.
Argentina officially joined the United States (US) as one of only two countries to voice their objections to the G20 Leaders’ Summit declaration.
Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno made the remarks on Saturday, the first day of the G20 Summit at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
Argentine President Javier Milei did not attend the G20 Summit, sending Quirno instead.
Argentina objection
Quirno said the G20 represents an important opportunity to demonstrate a collective approach to the development of Africa.
However, he announced that Argentina will not sign the G20 declaration due to discrepancies in the text, particularly regarding the approach to the conflict in the Middle East, although he reaffirmed the commitment to the forum.
“It is crucial to preserve the integrity of the G20’s central principle, which is consensus, and to recognise when it has not been achieved rather than proceeding with a document that does not faithfully reflect a collective will.
“We are deeply concerned about the way certain geopolitical issues are framed in the document. In particular, it addresses the prolonged conflict in the Middle East in a manner that does not capture its full complexity,” Quirno said.
ALSO READ: ‘There’s no reason why SA should not participate in G20 Summit in US’ – Dirco
No endorsement
Quirno said that although Argentina, a close ally of the US, cannot endorse the declaration due to discrepancies, the country maintains its full commitment to the spirit of cooperation that has defined the G20 since its creation.
“In this regard, I wish to recall the recent adoption of UN Security Council resolution on November 17th, which emphasises the international community support for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, while calling for comprehensive fair process to address all aspects of the conflict.
“In closing, Argentina, although cannot support the declaration based on the aforementioned discrepancies, remains fully committed to the spirit of cooperation that has defined the G20 since its inception,” Quirno said.
US President Donald Trump’s Under Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, thanked Quirno, following Argentina’s rejection of the G20 declaration.
“Thank you, Minister Quino, for your clear articulation and defence of the principles that allow prosperity and human dignity to flourish.”
G20 consensus
While Argentina was a notable detractor, G20 officials and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said that it had been part of the consensus, adding that the declaration was unanimous.
“It’s a position of principle. America chose to boycott this summit. That’s their prerogative to do so. But what cannot happen is a breach of protocol being forced down our throats. We are a sovereign country.”
Declaration
He also said the G20 leadership would not be handed over to a junior official of the US embassy representative, despite the US boycott of the summit.
Magwenya stated it had never happened before that such an important position was handed over to a junior official, and “it won’t happen here”.
Ramaphosa, who announced the decision on the declaration by mistake as he was unaware that his microphone was still on after his opening address, said: “There has been overwhelming consensus to execute what we came here for – the consensus to adopt the declaration.”
ALSO READ: Several protesters arrested during clashes outside G20 Summit venue in Nasrec [VIDEO]
