Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney believes the global economy can make progress on a number of issues, even without the United States, amid President Donald Trump’s boycott of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Bloomberg reported.
The remarks came after G20 host country South Africa issued a statement from the meeting despite a US boycott. Carney added that the consensus reached by leaders at the G20 meeting this weekend was significant, even without the U.S. participation, the report said.
Why did US President Donald Trump boycott the G20 meeting?
Donald Trump has said the US will abstain from this year’s G20 meeting, repeating debunked claims that white African farmers in South Africa are being subjected to genocide, according to a report. Washington said that in the absence of the US, only the chairman’s summary of the meeting could be released.
What did Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney say about the G20 meeting, the absence of the US?
Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg on November 23, Carney said the G20 summit “brought together nations representing three-quarters of the world’s population, two-thirds of global GDP and three-quarters of world trade, without the formal participation of the United States. It is a reminder that the center of gravity of the global economy is shifting.”
Carney took office earlier this year after campaigning to fend off Trump’s imposition of tariffs on its northern neighbor and proposals to make it part of the US territory. Carney focused on reducing the dependence of the Canadian economy on the US.
At a press conference, he described his attempts to strengthen ties with nations from South Africa to India and China.
Canada is strengthening relations with India, China, the United Arab Emirates and others
Following a Nov. 20 meeting in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Gulf nation committed to investing $70 billion in Canada, Carney said, without giving details. This is the largest investment pledge Canada has ever received.
“We are signing new contracts and seeking new investors to support our plans for Canada’s economic ambitions. We will expand trade and accelerate investment in growing partnerships across a range of areas from artificial intelligence to energy in the Indo-Pacific and Europe,” he said.
Carney said he was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Johannesburg later on Sunday and they were working to improve strained relations. In 2023, Canada said Indian agents may have been involved in the assassination of a Canadian citizen of Indian origin on its soil – a claim New Delhi denied.
Carney emphasized that he will not let Trump dictate his agenda.
“I’ll talk to him again when it’s important. I don’t have a burning issue to talk to the president about right now. When America wants to come back and have discussions on the trade side, we’ll have those discussions,” he said.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
