G20 Holds First Meeting Outside Member States in Cairo

The official meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) convened in Cairo on Monday, 1 September, marking the first time it has been held outside the member states since the group’s founding in 1999.

The G20, a bloc that brings together the world’s largest economies and represents roughly four-fifths of global economic output and three-quarters of international trade, consists of 19 countries and the African Union and the European Union as two regional organizations.

Countries include Argentina, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and India.

The discussions in Cairo, from 1 to 3 September, will build on the work of the G20’s Food Security Working Group to draft a ministerial statement to be adopted at a meeting in South Africa on 19 September. 

The statement will be included in the final communiqué of the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 September.

Ahmed El-Etrebi, ambassador and an Egyptian representative to the process, said hosting the gathering underscores Egypt’s growing diplomatic profile and its steady participation in G20 affairs as a guest country, which is a role it has played under five different presidencies since 2016, including those of China, Japan, India, Brazil, and now South Africa.

Egypt’s involvement reflects broader recognition of the country’s influence in Africa and the Middle East, and its push to ensure that the perspectives of developing nations are incorporated into the global economic conversation.

The meeting is organized in partnership with South Africa, which holds the group’s rotating presidency this year. Senior officials from G20 member countries, guest nations, international organizations, and leading financial institutions are expected to take part. 

The Finance Minister, Ahmed Kouchouk, and El-Etreby, the personal representative of the president of the republic to the G20 and assistant foreign minister, are attending the meeting.