According to an invitation sent on March 29, Ramaphosa was expected to participate in the 49th G7 summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Addressing media after a state visit by Namibian President Hage Geingob at the Union Buildings on Thursday, Ramaphosa said while South Africa was a regular at the summit, it was up to the host to invite whichever country it wanted to attend.
“It is the host's decision on who to invite to G7 meetings and it so happens that we often are the only country on the African continent that’s invited.
“We are not unhappy about not being invited, because it is the host's choice to invite [whoever]. We are going to chair [the] Brics [bloc meeting] and we are going to decide who should be invited outside the Brics family.
“The last time in 2018, we invited a number of other countries and we invited other regions of the world and those who were not invited could never say they were being rejected or whatever, because it’s the hosts that decide and when they decide they are focusing on whatever objectives they want to meet.
“So, we are not disappointed, but we are pleased the AU chair has been invited and we are in full support of that,” Ramaphosa said.
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SA has 'no quarrels' with being excluded at the G7, says Ramaphosa
Image: Elmond Jiyane
President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa is not “disappointed” that it has not been invited to the G7 summit in Japan next month.
“This time they have invited the AU chair and we, as South Africa, are pleased because that gives recognition to our continent. We don’t have any quarrel with that.
“What we have perceived in this process is the Japanese have chosen to go with regional blocs for invitations and their focusing, it seems to us, on their own part of the world,” said Ramaphosa on Thursday.
“The Japanese government, which is hosting the G7, decided for its version of the summit to invite the AU instead of individual countries from Africa. The president of Comoros [Azali Assoumani], who is the chair, will attend the G7 plus meetings and not South Africa,” the Presidency said on Monday.
The summit will take place in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21.
In June last year, Ramaphosa participated in the G7 summit at the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany.
Decision not to invite South Africa to G7 summit ‘tricky idea’ but ‘wise’: expert
According to an invitation sent on March 29, Ramaphosa was expected to participate in the 49th G7 summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Addressing media after a state visit by Namibian President Hage Geingob at the Union Buildings on Thursday, Ramaphosa said while South Africa was a regular at the summit, it was up to the host to invite whichever country it wanted to attend.
“It is the host's decision on who to invite to G7 meetings and it so happens that we often are the only country on the African continent that’s invited.
“We are not unhappy about not being invited, because it is the host's choice to invite [whoever]. We are going to chair [the] Brics [bloc meeting] and we are going to decide who should be invited outside the Brics family.
“The last time in 2018, we invited a number of other countries and we invited other regions of the world and those who were not invited could never say they were being rejected or whatever, because it’s the hosts that decide and when they decide they are focusing on whatever objectives they want to meet.
“So, we are not disappointed, but we are pleased the AU chair has been invited and we are in full support of that,” Ramaphosa said.
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