EU President Ursula von der Leyen, together with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, opened the G20 summit in Johannesburg, marking the first time the forum convenes on African soil. The president highlighted three priority areas for discussion. First, trade: the EU reaffirmed its commitment to rules‑based trade, citing its network of 44 free‑trade agreements with 76 partners, recent agreements with Mercosur, Mexico, Indonesia, and a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership with South Africa. Second, climate and clean energy: the EU urged greater investment in Africa’s renewable potential and announced the Global Gateway initiative, allocating 25 % of its €300 billion package to energy projects in the Global South. Third, digital governance: the EU stressed responsible AI development, proposing collaboration with African partners on AI infrastructure and applications such as renewable‑energy grid optimisation. The summit will continue over the next two days.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_25_2775
Made by AI. If you spot anything of concern write us at contact@cybach.com. We’ll promptly correct irregularities.