Group of 20 finance officials meet in South Africa from Thursday amid trade tensions, a global economic slowdown and Washington's threat to withdraw from multilateral organisations. President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to leverage Africa's first G20 presidency to promote an African agenda,

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not attend the two-day meeting in the port city of Durban, continuing a string of snubs by Trump administration officials.

At the G20 meeting in South Africa, finance chiefs emphasized central bank independence amid global economic uncertainty caused by trade tensions and extreme weather. The communique highlighted the need for cooperation and acknowledged the WTO's role in trade,

G20 chair South Africa warned Thursday that abandoning the rules-based global order and declining cooperation could derail 2030 development goals to end hunger, eradicate extreme poverty and fight climate change.

Finance chiefs of G20 countries expressed optimism for an agreement on a common position on trade and other global challenges on Friday despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs which have overshadowed their meeting,

This is not only a strategic investment — it is one that can boost growth, create business opportunities, and reduce pressure on public budgets in key member states,” said Klingbeil.

DURBAN (Reuters) -G20 finance chiefs agreed a communique on Friday that underscored the importance of central bank independence and the role of the World Trade Organisation in advancing trade issues.