On November 23, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Washington should not overestimate its role in the international arena, because many issues can be solved without the participation of the US. Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the G20 Summit last weekend, he emphasized that the focus of the global economy is shifting away from the US.
The US did not attend the G20 Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa. US President Donald Trump declared a "bocott" of the conference, leaving a remarkable void for the world's largest economy and sparking debate about the future of multilateral cooperation.
Washington also said it could only release a summary of the presidency after the summit because the US would not attend. However, the G20 issued a joint statement on November 23.
Prime Minister Carney said that this conference brings together countries representing 3/4 of the world's population, 2/3 of global GDP and 3/4 of international trade - even without the official presence of the US. He added that this is a reminder that the focus of the global economy is shifting.
According to the Canadian Prime Minister, the decisions reached at the summit are still of weight despite the US boycott. He emphasized that Canada is also looking to strengthen relations with many countries, including South Africa, India and China.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa affirmed before the summit that the G20 is advancing and will not be bullied, calling the decision to boycott the US meeting their quarter.
Mr. Maksim Oreshkin - assistant to President Vladimir Putin leading the Russian delegation at the conference - assessed the event as a success. He said the Russian delegation had more constructive exchanges with friendly countries and had received some proposals for economic cooperation and joint projects from unfriendly countries.
