Ramaphosa meets EU leaders at G20 Summit to strengthen strategic partnerships

Ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that he has met with President of the European Council, António Costa, and President of the European Commission, Dr Ursula von der Leyen, on the margins of the G20 Summit on Thursday, 20 November 2025.

The meeting comes just under two days before more than 40 heads of state are set to gather for the two-day leaders summit at the Nasrec Conference and Expo Centre this weekend.

According to a statement by the President’s office, this meeting follows a series of engagements between the leaders, including at the multilateral fora such as the UNGA80 in New York, the EU’s Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, and the recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, the leaders reviewed progress on the key political and economic outcomes agreed to at the 8th South Africa – EU Summit held in March 2025, in Cape Town.

“In the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and ahead of the 7th AU-EU Summit on 24-25 November in Luanda, Angola, this meeting took place against the backdrop of growing challenges to multilateralism and the ongoing conflict in Sudan. “Leaders reiterated their March commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian Territories.

“They also recalled the importance of multilateralism, the centrality of the United Nations Charter and the support for a renewed global financing framework for sustainable development, following the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025 and Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP30) from 6 to 21 November in Belém, Brazil,” Magwenya stated.

Furthermore, it is reported that the leaders welcomed the signature of the EU-South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP), which will create new trade and investment opportunities, while supporting decarbonisation objectives through a tailored, flexible, and targeted approach taking into account the priorities of South Africa and the EU.

Magwenya said in addition to facilitating trade and investment in clean supply chains, this partnership will also serve as a forum for regulatory cooperation between the EU and South Africa in areas of mutual interest.

“The Leaders also welcomed the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Minerals and Metals Value Chains, which will promote value addition and beneficiation of critical minerals close to the source of extraction and will enhance economic and industrial integration between South Africa and the EU,” he said.