The G20 summit in Johannesburg ended without a traditional joint photo. Some Western diplomats did not want to stand to him because of the presence of the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Ławrowo. The authorities in Johannesburg explained the “logistic restrictions” case.
IN South Africa The peak of the heads of diplomacy took place G20 countries. After its completion, the lack of a traditional joint photo of the participants drew attention.
The minister responsible for the international relations of South Africa Ronald Lamola explained that a joint photo did not appear due to “logistics restrictions”. This version also defended at the Friday press conference Zane Dangor, general director of the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who convinced journalists that there was no photo session due to time restrictions, not political tensions.
Zane Dangor explained that “meetings dragged on to late evening.” He reminded that a joint photo did not appear after the G20 in Brazil (in November 2024).
Sergei Lavrov at the G20 summitJerome Delay/Associated Press/East News
The portal of the South African weekly “Mail and Guardian” wrote that the participants of the Summit in Johannesburg from the Member States of the European Union intentionally avoided a photo session to distance themselves from Lavrov.
Due to the presence Sergei Lavrovboss Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairswhich in February 2022 attacked Ukrainethere was also no joint photo after the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali in July 2022.
At the end of this year's G20 summit in Johannesburg, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he had invited the President of Ukraine to Wołodymyr Zelnski to his country. Andrij Jermak, head of the Zelnski office, confirmed that “diplomatic channels transferred the desire of South Africa to receive the Ukrainian leader.”
Source of the main photo: Jerome Delay/Associated Press/East News