German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, despite some world leaders cancelling their attendance. The information was confirmed by government spokesman Steffen Meyer, quoted by DPA, BTA reports.
According to Meyer, the G20 format, which brings together leading industrial and developing economies, remains critically important for Germany as a multilateral platform for coordinating global policies.
The meeting, which will be held next week in Johannesburg, will be unusual, as the presidents of the US, China and Russia - Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin - will not be present. This will be the first such case since the group was founded.
According to DPA, the German government aims for the G20 to continue to play a role in dealing with international crises and developing joint solutions, including in the field of economic cooperation.
Mayer stressed that the meeting is particularly important in the current complex international situation. Merz plans to hold a number of bilateral talks and will be accompanied by Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil.
The G20 group includes 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.
In addition, the chancellor will participate in the EU-AU summit, which will be held in Luanda, Angola, on November 24. The spokesman indicated that this forum aims to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Africa, with a focus on security and development on both continents.