Bessent to Skip G-20 Finance Chiefs Gathering in South Africa

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent won’t travel to the Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in South Africa next week as he focuses on the domestic agenda in his first weeks in office.

Bessent’s decision follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s snub of the G-20 gathering of foreign ministers this week. Rubio had cited issues with South Africa’s land and equality policies among his reasons for not going. A local US diplomat in South Africa was delegated to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting.

“I will not attend the G20 Summit because of obligations in Washington DC.,” Bessent said in ...