Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno explained why Argentina did not support the declaration adopted by the G20 leaders. He pointed to"discrepancies" with the text agreed upon during the bloc's annual summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"We have outlined the identified red lines (...) with the aim of supporting the broader goals of the G20. These red lines remain in place," Quirno, who attended the meeting on behalf of the president, Javier Milei, told the plenary.
The minister stressed that, for Argentina,"it is crucial to preserve the integrity" of the G20's "central" principle, which is"consensus," and to recognize when this has not been achieved "instead of moving forward with a document that does not faithfully reflect a collective will."
"We are deeply concerned about the way certain geopolitical issues are addressed in the document. In particular, it deals with the protracted conflict in the Middle East in a way that fails to capture its full complexity," the foreign minister said.
According to Quirno, the text focused on a"single dimension of a specific territory," which, in his opinion,"overlooks the broader regional context, the international recognition of different entities, and the structural causes of the dispute."
"Argentina, although unable to endorse the declaration due to the aforementioned disagreements, remains fully committed to the spirit of cooperation that has defined the G20 since its inception," he remarked.
However, the chancellor stressed that through"genuine dialogue, respect for consensus and adherence to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, this forum will be able to continue working constructively."
The South African G20 presidency, which assumed the rotating leadership in December 2024, announced on the social network X that the declaration was adopted by"an overwhelming majority" of member states, without giving details about the countries that supported the text.
🇿🇦His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa delivering South Africa’s Statement during the Opening Session of the #G20 Leaders’ Summit#G20SouthAfrica 🇿🇦#BetterAfricaBetterWorld 🌍
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) November 22, 2025
Vincent Magwenya, spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was asked about Argentina's position by the EFE news agency, and replied that"the Argentine 'sherpa' (negotiator) has been here for quite some time."
"Argentina has participated in several meetings, so it's somewhat surprising that Argentina wasn't present when the Sherpas considered they had reached an agreement. And once the Sherpas reached an agreement, all that remained was for the leaders at the summit to ratify it. That happened," Magwenya concluded.
Before the signing, Magwenya told the media that the text reaffirms that the Charter of the United Nations"remains the central point of reference for analyzing and addressing disputes, avoiding the use of force and committing ourselves to the peaceful resolution of conflicts."
He also noted that the declaration identifies"four of the world's most serious conflicts: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ukraine, and Palestine."
The first day of the summit is taking place this Saturday, marked by the absence of the United States from the debates, after its president, Donald Trump, decided to boycott the meeting by claiming that Afrikaners (white South Africans descended from Dutch settlers)"are being killed and massacred" and that their lands are being "illegally confiscated" in South Africa, which Pretoria categorically denies.
Some forty leaders, including those from the G20 and those from invited countries - such as Spain - are participating in the summit, although the notable absences are not only of Trump and Milei, but also - and for different reasons - of the presidents of China, Xi Jinping; Russia, Vladimir Putin; and Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum.
Leaders and foreign ministers from forty countries gathered at the G20 summit in South Africa. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
"It is a real disgrace that the G20 summit is being held in South Africa," Trump declared two weeks ago, claiming that Afrikaners (South Africans descended from Dutch settlers)"are being killed and massacred" and their lands "illegally confiscated."
The official statement from the Argentine Foreign Ministry
The Republic of Argentina did not endorse the final document circulated during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg.
This Argentine decision responds to the breakdown of the consensus rules that govern the functioning of the G20, as well as to substantive differences in the geopolitical considerations contained in the text.
For Argentina, preserving the rule of consensus as the foundation of the legitimacy of decisions adopted within the framework of the G20 is essential.
The Argentine Republic did not endorse the final document circulated during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg
— Argentine Foreign Ministry 🇦🇷 (@Cancilleria_Ar) November 22, 2025
📎 https://t.co/sAvi0OtyCy
In this regard, and after several days of constructive negotiations, our country regrets that a declaration was considered approved without the consensus of all members of the forum, including Argentina among others.
This decision omits a core principle of the G20, an organization whose primary mandate is the global coordination of actions and policies aimed at financial stability and economic growth, always on the basis of consensus.
Likewise, with regard to the conflict in the Middle East, Argentina differs from the partial approach reflected in the document, which omits the regional context and the underlying structural causes of the conflict, essential elements for the advancement of a genuine, sustainable, and balanced peace process.
With information from the EFE Agency
