G20 Summit LIVE updates: PM Modi leaves for three-day visit to South Africa, says will present India’s perspective in line with vision

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Friday (November 21, 2025) claimed that he is attending the G20 Summit in South Africa “safely and securely” since US President Donald Trump is boycotting the conclave and wondered whether “huglomacy” with “my good friend” revive as the next Summit of the grouping will take place in America.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the next G20 Summit a year from now will be in the US and by then, presumably, India’s trade “(or)deal” with the US will be done.

“But if in the past seven months, President Trump has claimed 61 times that he halted Operation Sindoor, imagine how many more times he will repeat those claims in the next twelve months,” Mr. Ramesh said on X.

The prime minister is attending the G20 Summit in South Africa today and tomorrow, and he is doing so safely and securely since President Trump and the US are boycotting the summit, the Congress leader claimed.

South Africa will not be bullied, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Thursday (November 20, 2025) in a jab at the United States, which said it would boycott the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend.

Washington has also demanded that South Africa not issue the traditional joint leaders’ statement after the meeting, where around 40 countries will be represented.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has clashed with South Africa over its G20 agenda and various international and domestic policies, is skipping the summit amid a wider U.S. retreat from multilateralism that has rattled global order.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s South Africa visit for the G20 Summit, an MEA top official Thursday (November 20, 2025) said he would not like to prejudge what will figure in the leaders’ declaration, but all important matters relevant from the perspective of India and the Global South will be “highlighted by our leadership”.

“We are working out the details of these bilateral meetings,” Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations), MEA, told reporters at a media briefing in New Delhi. “This is the first G20 summit that will be happening on African soil and, in that context, will bring the spotlight on the development issues of Africa, as also of the Global South,” he added.

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (November 21, 2025) embarked on a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the first G20 summit in Johannesburg, and said he will present India’s perspective at the forum in line with its vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’.

This is the first time a G20 Summit is being held on the African continent.