South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday warned France the Group of 20 nations which it heads risks becoming a talking shop "where nothing happens" - like the United Nations General Assembly. Zuma, hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy with full state honours as he seeks to broaden African partnerships, said groups like the G20 and G8, both of which are this year headed by Sarkozy, must bring "concrete solutions."
France is courting Zuma as the influential leader of the newest member of the influential "BRICS", the fast-growing economies of Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa, Africa's largest economy. "The G20 is the most promising institution to define a new governance and a multilateral leadership mould model, post-crisis," Zuma said, "Despite its well-known challenges regarding its legitimacy and mandate."
"The future impact of the G20 will depend on its ability to safeguard the recovery," Zuma told business leaders at a meeting attended by French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde and her South African counterpart Rob Davies. "If the G20 remains in the debate only and not solving problems it will be relegated to the same level of other institutions that are just there for the sake of being there." Zuma hailed France's aim of dealing with "very specific issues... because if we don't do so it will be just like we're going to the (UN) General Assembly every year just to make speeches and go home and nothing happens."
"We need concrete programmes and concrete solutions to matters that effect the world," he said. Sarkozy is determined his G20 legacy will be the reform of the world financial and trade system, in order to iron out the imbalances that led to the recent global economic catastrophe, and for that he needs the BRICS' support.
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