Leaders adopt a declaration at the start of South Africa's G20 summit despite US opposition

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — World leaders from the Group of 20 rich and developing economies broke with tradition and adopted a declaration at the start of their summit in South Africa on Saturday despite opposition from the United States, which is boycotting the two-day talks in a diplomatic rift with the host country.

Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said a leaders' declaration was adopted unanimously by the other members at the start of the talks in Johannesburg. Declarations are usually adopted at the end of G20 summits.

The 122-point declaration urged more global action on issues that specifically affect poor countries, like climate-related disasters and sovereign debt levels, and was promoted by the host country as a victory for the first G20 summit to be held in Africa.

The summit has been overshadowed by the U.S. boycott ordered by President Donald Trump and the U.S. had put pressure on South Africa not to adopt a leaders' declaration in the absence of an American delegation, South African officials said.

South Africa's summit had an ambitious agenda to make progress on solving some of the long-standing problems that have afflicted the developing world, and leaders and top government officials came together at an exhibition center near the township of Soweto, which was once home to Nelson Mandela.

Many of South Africa's priorities, especially a focus on climate change and confronting global inequality, met resistance from the U.S. But as he opened the summit, Ramaphosa said that “consensus has emerged."

Then, in comments to leaders that were apparently mistakenly broadcast during what was meant to be the start of closed-door discussions, Ramaphosa could be heard saying leaders would move "to adopt our declaration now."

South Africa's foreign minister walked over and whispered in Ramaphosa's ear, and the South African leader said: “OK. I’m told that the cameras are still on. They should be off."

While Ramaphosa's spokesperson said the declaration was unanimous, Argentina said it did not endorse it. Argentine President Javier Milei also did not attend the summit in solidarity with ally Trump, and the country was represented by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno.

Leaders and officials from France, Germany, the U.K., Canada and Japan held meetings over the proposed U.S. peace deal for the Russia-Ukraine war on the sidelines of the summit. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that representatives from the three European countries, the European Union, the United States and Ukraine would meet in Switzerland on Sunday for more talks.

The peace plan was drawn up by the Trump administration and Russia and gives in to many Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected, including his country giving up large pieces of territory.

In a joint statement, the EU, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the U.K. said the proposed deal was “a basis which will require additional work," and "borders must not be changed by force."

South Africa set the agenda for the summit as the country holding the rotating G20 presidency and wanted leaders to agree to more help for poor countries to recover from climate-fueled disasters, reduce their foreign debt burdens, transition to green energy sources and harness their own critical mineral wealth.

But the summit was without the world's biggest economy after Trump boycotted over his claims that South Africa is violently persecuting its Afrikaner white minority. The Trump administration has also made clear its opposition to South Africa's G20 agenda that focuses on climate change and inequality.

The monthslong rift between the U.S. and South Africa deepened in the buildup to the summit this weekend, but some of the leaders were eager to move on.

“I do regret it,” French President Emmanuel Macron said of Trump's absence, “but it should not block us. Our duty is to be present, engage and work all together because we have so many challenges.”

The G20 is actually a group of 21 members that comprises 19 nations, the European Union and the African Union.

The bloc was formed in 1999 as a bridge between rich and poor nations to confront global financial crises. While it often operates in the shadow of the Group of Seven richest democracies, G20 members together represent around 85% of the world’s economy, 75% of international trade and more than half the global population.

It works on consensus rather than any binding resolutions, though, and that is often hard to come by with the different interests of members like the U.S., Russia, China and the Western European nations France, Germany and the U.K.

G20 declarations detail broad agreements reached by the members. South Africa said the U.S. was exerting pressure on it to tone down the final document to a unilateral statement from the host country.

Ramaphosa responded this week by saying “we will not be bullied."

The direction of the G20 bloc is likely to change sharply after the U.S. takes over the rotating presidency at the end of the summit. The only role the U.S. will play at this meeting will be when a representative from its embassy in South Africa attends the formal handover ceremony, the White House said.

South Africa said it's an insult for Ramaphosa to hand over to a junior diplomatic official and a formal handover likely wouldn't happen on Sunday.

Follow AP’s coverage of the G20 summit in South Africa: https://apnews.com/hub/g20-summit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center, reacts next to Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa as leaders pose for a group photo, on the opening day of the G20 Leaders' Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Yves Herman/Pool Photo via AP)

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and. President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union Joao Lourenco gesture as leaders gather for a group photo at the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu, Pool)

Leaders and delegates pose for a group photo, on the opening day of the G20 Leaders' Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

Heads of states gather for a group photo during the G20 leaders' summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu,Pool)

From left, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stand as leaders pose for a group photo, on the opening day of the G20 Leaders' Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Yves Herman/Pool Photo via AP)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the opening session of the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu,Pool)

Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno addresses the opening session of the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu,Pool)

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend a plenary session on the opening day of the G20 Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merzi attends a plenary session on the opening day of the G20 Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

South African Cyril Ramaphosa, right, welcomes welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron, on the opening day of the G20 Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Halden Krog/Pool Photo via AP)

France's President Emmanuel Macron attends a plenary session on the opening day of the G20 Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

South African President Cyril Ramaphos aaddresses the opening session of the G20 leaders' summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

Members of the media watch on screens as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the opening session of the G20 leaders' summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, right, welcomes World Bank President Ajay Banga on the opening day of the G20 Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Thomas Mukoya/Pool Photo via AP)

France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, shakes hands with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa during their bilateral meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa, Friday Nov. 21, 2025, ahead of the G20 leaders' Summit. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

A journalist walks flags of participating country's at the media centre of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of their media conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addresses a media conference on the eve of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, shakes hands with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa during their bilateral meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa, Friday Nov. 21, 2025, ahead of the G20 leaders' Summit. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

A journalist takes a selfie outside the media centre of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties caused by the war in the Middle East.

Their summit in Seoul came as U.S. President Donald Trump slammed allies for not supporting the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Macron was making his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017, as part of an Asian tour that already has taken him to Japan.

Macron told Lee at the start of the meeting that the two countries can play a role in helping to stabilize the situation in the Middle East, including Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has unleashed shock on global energy markets.

At a joint televised briefing afterward, Macron underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and deescalate Middle East animosities, while Lee said the two affirmed “their resolves to cooperate to secure the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The two leaders did not take questions and did not elaborate on how they would help reopen the strait — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil usually passes.

“We need to clearly define, at the international level, the conditions for a process to ease the crisis and conflict in the Middle East,” Macron said. “We need to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.”

Lee said he and Macron agreed to expand cooperation in technology, energy and other areas. South Korean and French officials also signed agreements to cooperate on nuclear fuel supply chains, jointly invest in an offshore wind project in southern South Korea and to collaborate on critical minerals. South Korea has moved to increase output at its nuclear reactors to mitigate the energy crunch and Lee has also called for a faster transition to renewable energy, saying the war has exposed the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports.

Macron’s Asia trip comes as Trump has ramped up his frustration with allies. In a speech Wednesday, Trump said Americans “don’t need” the strait but the countries who do “must grab it and cherish it.”

In an earlier Easter event at the White House, Trump called for his allies in Asia and China to get involved in reopening the waterway.

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”

The United States stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea, not the 45,000 stated by Trump. The U.S. troops’ deployment in South Korea is meant to deter potential aggressions from North Korea.

Macron has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz through a military operation is unrealistic.

South Korean officials have said they are in contact with Washington on the issue and that Seoul isn’t considering paying Iran transit fees to secure fuel shipments through the strait.

French President Emmanuel Macron, front left, his wife Brigitte Macron, back center, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, front right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, right, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, center, his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, second left, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, second right, during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)