Noni Mokati

Media Question at a Presser today: "How does Russia assess the actions of the United States aimed at preventing #SouthAfrica🇿🇦 from participating in the G20 forum"? Russian FM Sergey Lavrov: "...South Africa is a full-fledged permanent member of the #G20. This status cannot be altered unilaterally by any single decision – whether by the forum’s chair or anyone else. We would like to recall that the G20 belongs equally to all its members on a collective basis, and that decisions within this format are taken exclusively by consensus. The Americans themselves declined to participate in the G20 process under South Africa’s previous presidency. For this reason, they have no grounds to claim that Washington’s voice was not taken into account. The situation involving South Africa has become yet another reminder that the West’s sense of superiority has not been overcome. There remains a belief that countries of the Global South and East occupy a subordinate position and should agree with everything decided by the Group of Seven.”