US Treasury’s Bessent to skip G-20 meeting in South Africa, NYT reports
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FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks, at the White House, in Washington, U.S. February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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WASHINGTON - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will skip next week's meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 countries in Cape Town, South Africa, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with his plans.
Tensions between the US and South Africa have risen in recent weeks following complaints from US President Donald Trump over South Africa's land policy.
Earlier this month, Trump said that "South Africa is confiscating land" and "certain classes of people" were being treated "very badly."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently cancelled a trip to Johannesburg for a meeting a G-20 foreign ministers.
South Africa holds the G-20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025.
The US Treasury did not immediately respond to queries about Bessent's plans for the G-20 and the NYT report. REUTERS
