PM Wong to attend G-20 summit in South Africa, visit Ethiopia
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The two-day G-20 meeting will get under way on Nov 22.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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- PM Wong will attend the G-20 Summit in South Africa from 21-23 Nov to discuss climate change, inequality and geopolitical issues with other leaders.
- He will then visit Ethiopia from Nov 23-25 , meeting PM Abiy Ahmed Ali.
- This trip marks PM Wong’s first African visit since taking office, highlighting the continent's importance to Singapore.
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JOHANNESBURG - Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong is in South Africa from Nov 21 to 23, where he will attend the annual Group of 20 (G-20) leaders’ summit in the city of Johannesburg.
He will then make an official visit to Ethiopia from Nov 23 to 25.
The two-day G-20 meeting, which starts on Nov 22, will see leaders of the world’s largest leading and emerging economies come together to discuss the interlinked global issues of climate change, inequality, hunger and poverty, and geopolitical instability.
The 2025 meeting, which will be held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, is the first hosted by an African nation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the summit comes as the world grapples with complex and urgent challenges, and that the solutions to many of these challenges can be found on the African continent.
On the agenda is how the world can prepare for climate-induced disasters, ensure sustainable debt for low-income countries, finance energy transitions, and ensure fairness in the trade of critical minerals.
PM Wong will participate in discussions aimed at promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, and fostering a fair and just future amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the changing nature of work, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement on Nov 20.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries on the sidelines of the summit.
Singapore is not a member of the G-20 but has participated in the multilateral forum for almost two decades as a guest country.
PM Wong is attending the meeting at the invitation of Mr Ramaphosa.
G-20 members account for two-thirds of the world’s population and represent around 85 per cent of the global economy and more than 75 per cent of world trade.
They are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union and the European Union.
US President Donald Trump has said he will not attend 2025’s summit, citing the persecution of white farmers in South Africa – a claim that the South African government has refuted as completely false.
In the second leg of his trip, PM Wong will visit Ethiopia at the invitation of its Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
Dr Abiy visited Singapore in June 2024
Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa and one of its fastest-growing economies.
The trip marks PM Wong’s first bilateral visit to Africa since taking office, underscoring the importance Singapore places on the continent, which comprises 54 countries and accounts for a fifth of the world’s population.
Africa is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the world by 2029 and is currently already the second-fastest growing region.
In Ethiopia, PM Wong will receive a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace and be hosted to an official dinner.
Both prime ministers will witness the exchange of bilateral agreements and hold a joint press conference, said the PMO.
Also on PM Wong’s agenda is a meeting with the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya, where they will exchange views on the centre’s work in Africa and its partnership with Singapore.
Accompanying him in South Africa is Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and officials from the PMO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Mrs Wong.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and Health Rahayu Mahzam, as well as officials from the ministries of Trade and Industry and Health, will join the delegation in Ethiopia.
During PM Wong’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be Acting Prime Minister from Nov 21 to 24. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam will be Acting Prime Minister on Nov 25.
