JOHANNESBURG: It is unfortunate that the US did not participate in the G20 in Johannesburg this weekend because important matters relating to world trade were discussed, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau said on Sunday.
Tau, asked whether the US would lose out by not attending and reduce its influence on global trade, said this needed to be judged in the context of what the outcomes of the G20 have been.
“It’s been an important discussion around global trade, issues around the World Trade Organisation (WTO), discussion around industrialisation, financing for development, around debt. All those issues are important for the entire world and it is quite unfortunate that their (the US) voice was not coming across at these meetings,” Tau said in a media briefing.
The minister said discussions with the US around trade would continue.
“G20 is a separate process. Of course, I can’t pretend that it does not reflect on the issues that have been discussed, but so far it hasn’t in any way been negative,” he said.
Tau said the decisions taken at the Johannesburg Summit would be tracked through what countries would be doing after the US takes over the Presidency next month.
“We track progress on the number of agreements that we have with various countries on the basis of the principles set out here, the impact on the multilateral system and the positions that will be presented in the UN for resolution at different multilateral platforms,” Tau said.
He added that there will also be tracking of discussion and the implications around reform at the WTO.
“Issues are tracked on the basis of what we put on the table. The obligation is on us as a country to follow up and we are clear that we will follow up,” he said.
PTI