WASHIGNTON, July 2. /TASS/. The US decision not to invite South Africa to the Group of Twenty (G20) events during Washington’s presidency this year is illegitimate, Denis Agafonov, head of the expert department of the Russian president’s administration and the Russian G20 sherpa, said in response to a TASS reporter’s question.

He noted that Moscow expects Washington to reconsider this decision. "First of all, the G20 is an established structure, with its membership being determined by consensus. If you recall, in 2023, we accepted the African Union, it was a consensus decision, supported by everyone, including, naturally, Russia. Therefore, of course, we cannot support or accept in any way the US decision not to invite representatives from South Africa. We are saying that directly to our counterparts. We believe that it is an illegitimate decision not to invite South Africa to these events," Agafonov told reporters following the G20 sherpa meeting in Washington on June 29-30.

"Therefore, we expect that sooner or later this decision will be revisited and South Africa, a country friendly to us and a BRICS member state, will return and continue, as it should, to work within the G20 framework mechanisms," the Russian sherpa said.

The G20 summit is scheduled for December 14-15 in Doral, near Miami, Florida. Earlier, US President Donald Trump questioned South Africa’s participation in the G20 work, citing what he called a genocide of white minority in the country. He also said that South Africa’s delegation will not be invited to the G20 summit. The G20 has already held several ministerial and expert-level meetings, but South African representatives have received no invitations from the US to take part in them.