Africa-Press – Angola. João Lourenço, the Angolan president and current chairperson of the African Union (AU), is set to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday and Sunday. This will be his second time participating in the summit, following his attendance at the 19th summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last year.
This time, unlike in 2024 when he was invited by the host and then-president of the group Lula da Silva, he will attend in his capacity as AU leader.
The AU chairperson is expected to convey Africa’s common position in seeking sustainable solutions to the continent’s many issues. As Lourenço has said, history has taught us that Africa’s future depends on its ability to unite around common goals.
Lourenço is expected to reiterate statements he made at recent events at the Johannesburg Expo Centre regarding the urgent need to reform international financial institutions and the current financial architecture.
Specifically, these institutions have been urged to become more representative, inclusive, and capable of meeting the immense needs of developing countries, especially those in Africa. Angola, under its pro tempore presidency, has led this effort for the past nine months.
At the 2024 G20 leaders’ Summit, Lourenço urged creditor countries and institutions to address factors such as unsustainable external debt with profound solidarity and justice.
Since taking the helm of the AU in February of this year, Angola has participated in several international events, strongly defending the economic and social development of Africa.
The Angolan Head of State participated in the UN Conference on Financing for Development (Seville Summit) and the High-Level Event on the Global Development Initiative, for example.
He also took part in the High-Level Event on the Third Decade of Industrial Development in Africa, the United Nations General Assembly, and the Global Gateway.
These events are complemented by those hosted by Angola, including the Africa-United States Summit and the recent III Summit on Infrastructure Financing in Africa.
From João Lourenço’s perspective, the continent has the potential to become one of the world’s major engines of growth and a prime location for investment and development.
He stressed to need to win the struggle to obtain fairer and more favorable financing and credit conditions from international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as from other similar institutions and the banking sector, for the necessary investment in various sectors.
The Angolan statesman has emphasized the need for Africa to have a stronger presence and a unified voice in approaches to and decisions about major global issues, based on joint action.
This is the first time the world’s most powerful nations, along with the AU and the EU, have met on African soil. This moment is considered decisive for the African continent.
The G20 includes the world’s leading economies, representing 85% of the global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.
Like the European Union, the African Union has been a permanent member of the group since the September 2023 India summit, which aimed to emphasize Africa’s voice and influence decisions on key issues on the G20 agenda.
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