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President Cyril Ramaphosa has downplayed the absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G20 Foreign Ministers\u2019 meeting, calling it \u201cnot a train smash.\u201d Ramaphosa insisted that the US would still follow the outcomes of the discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe United States is still represented here and they are part of the G20. The discussions that will take place here, will include their input. So this is not a boycott,\u201d Ramaphosa said on the sidelines of the meeting at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.<\/span><\/p>\n Rubio\u2019s decision to skip the meeting followed US concerns over the country\u2019s land policy, particularly after Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act.<\/span><\/p>\n The US is currently represented by the embassy staff in Rubio\u2019s absence. <\/span><\/p>\n Ramaphosa stressed the importance of the US as South Africa\u2019s second-largest trading partner, noting the extensive political, trade, and diplomatic interactions between the two countries.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the United States,\u201d Ramaphosa said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhile we may not agree on everything, we are committed to finding ways to work together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Get your news on the go, click <\/span>here to join the News WhatsApp channel. <\/p>\n Ramaphosa acknowledged that disagreements, such as those over the land reform, would be addressed diplomatically.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will resolve these issues and work to strengthen our ties,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Ramaphosa also mentioned his communication with US President Donald Trump, whom he said he congratulated after his election.<\/span><\/p>\n He said they discussed the G20 with him, reminding Trump that South Africa would be hosting the summit before handing over to the US the following year.<\/span><\/p>\n Ramaphosa added that the two also spoke about Trump\u2019s admiration for South African golfers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur communications are good and we will continue to build on them as we address the issues that appear to be difficult, and find solutions,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n Politics <\/strong><\/p>\n Get your news on the go, click here to join the News WhatsApp channel. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Cyril Ramaphosa has downplayed the absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G20 Foreign Ministers\u2019 meeting, calling it \u201cnot a train smash.\u201d Ramaphosa insisted that the US would still follow the outcomes of the discussions. \u201cThe United States is still represented here and they are part of the G20. The discussions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[10896,13230,12564,426,8914,17769],"class_list":["post-232666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-absence","tag-downplays","tag-g20","tag-ramaphosa","tag-secretary","tag-state039s"],"yoast_head":"\n