Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma on Thursday called for a joint proposal with Mexico to push for the reform agenda for the G20 group of nations, including changes to the global monetary system.
Zuma, together with other leaders from developing nations, has been pushing an ambitious agenda for the G20 group, to focus on the development needs of low income countries and Africa.
Speaking after holding bilateral talks with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, Zuma said he seriously wanted to see the G20 finalising the outstanding decisions before taking on too many new issues.
"The effectiveness of the G20 and the fruitfulness of our participation as the developing world will depend on the extent to which it is able to implement all the decisions reached at previous summits," said Zuma.
Zuma arrived in the coastal Mexican city Cancun on Wednesday for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well to build bilateral relations with Mexico.
The President said the summit presents a crossroads for Africa and the international community.
"It is a critical opportunity to build confidence and momentum towards a multilaterally agreed, legally binding outcome, which is an inclusive, fair and effective global climate change regime."
He called on the participating nations to establish the building blocks for the longer term negotiation of the future legally binding outcome.
Negotiators at the summit are not expected to agree to a replacement of the Kyoto Protocol but are hoping to building on the modest package of measures that a majority of nations backed at last year's acrimonious Copenhagen climate conference.
In his wide ranging speech, Zuma also hailed the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, saying SA will work harder to further strengthen investment and trade relations with Mexico.
Mexico is South Africa's third largest trading partners in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina. South Africa is Mexico's largest trading partner in Africa.
Trade between the two countries has been growing at a steady pace since the early 1990s after Mexico lifted its ban on trade with South Africa. It exceeded R3.5 billion in 2009, with the trade balance of R1.2 billion in favour of Mexico.
Meanwhile, SA will donate a rock art painting to the government and people of Mexico in commemoration of its Bicentennial of Independence and 100 years of the Mexican Revolution.
"We trust that this token that represents our history of rock art, which will be delivered through diplomatic channels, will find a suitable place among Mexico's rich and colourful cultural treasures," said Zuma.
