ISTANBUL 

The G20 leaders’ summit opened on Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa, with President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the first address as delegates gathered for two days of talks.

In line with South Africa’s G20 theme of “solidarity, equality and sustainability,” the first G20 summit ever held on the African continent under Pretoria’s presidency is expected to focus on debt relief for low-income countries, a major barrier to inclusive growth across the developing world.

Leaders will also tackle climate adaptation and the shift to clean energy, among other priorities.

The agenda includes discussions on internal cooperation and the bloc’s strategic direction, while leaders are set to hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the two-day gathering.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said this week 42 countries are expected to participate in the country’s historic G20 summit.

The US, a founding member of the G20, has boycotted this year’s summit.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced that he would not send an American official to Johannesburg for the meeting, accusing South Africa of “human rights abuses” against the white Afrikaner population – claims the South African government has repeatedly rejected as unfounded.

This year, relations between Washington and Pretoria plunged to their lowest over disagreements on both foreign and domestic policies.

Established in 1999, the G20 comprises 19 countries and two regional bodies – the EU and the African Union.