External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Johannesburg, South Africa, from February 20 to 21, 2025, to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM). He will be attending the meeting at the invitation of Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Jaishankar's participation aims to strengthen India's engagement with G20 countries and to amplify the voice of the Global South on important global issues. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other participating countries on the sidelines of the meeting.

The G20 is a crucial international forum comprising 19 countries along with the European Union and the African Union. It represents about 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and approximately two-thirds of the world population.

The G20 forum plays a significant role in shaping the global economic agenda and fostering cooperation on various economic and financial issues. Key areas of focus for the G20 include trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.

South Africa's Presidency South Africa assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2024, and will hold it until November 2025. The G20 Presidency rotates annually, with the host country responsible for setting the agenda and hosting the summit. In 2023, India held the G20 presidency under the theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" or "One Earth, One Family, One Future".

ANI