In brief
President Cyril Ramaphosa has commented on South Africa's exclusion from the forthcoming G7 summit, clarifying that non-attendance is expected for non-member nations. He downplayed reports of US pressure on France to revoke his invitation, maintaining that South Africa's relationship with France remains strong despite not being invited this summit. France has chosen to invite Kenya and others, stating it reflects a move to support global economic balance.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has downplayed reports that his invitation to the forthcoming G7 summit in France has been withdrawn, saying non-attendance by a country outside the bloc should surprise no-one.
Reports on Thursday claimed the US had put huge pressure on France to rescind Ramaphosa's invitation to the summit scheduled for June. They claimed US President Donald Trump had threatened to boycott the summit if the South African leader attended.
The invitation to the G7 does not mean that you're being snubbed if you're not invited or you're being ignored, said Ramaphosa.
France has, however, denied yielding to any US pressure, stating it had decided to invite Kenya this time.
France, which holds the presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations, confirmed its intention to host leaders from South Korea and three other non-member countries - India, Brazil, and Kenya - at its annual summit in Évian-les-Bains.
It said the invitations were part of efforts to correct global economic imbalances.
A South African official stated they were excluded from the summit after initially being invited, citing sustained pressure from the US. However, Ramaphosa asserted there was no pressure from any country suggesting that many nations around the world do not receive invitations to the G7.
He highlighted that South Africa has attended some G7 summits as a guest and if they do not attend this one, it should come as no surprise to anyone.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reasserted that France opted for a streamlined G7, choosing to invite Kenya ahead of the summit to aid preparations for the France-Africa summit in Nairobi in May.
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since Trump's presidency began, with critiques regarding South Africa's stance on race issues and land reform policies adding to tensions.
Despite the exclusion, a spokesperson for the South African presidency emphasized that the bilateral relationship with France remains robust and is undeterred by the withdrawal of the invitation to attend the G7.
