South Africa voiced dismay on Thursday that Group of 20 talks it hosted on global economic issues ended without consensus, after top officials from several countries skipped it and delegates remained far apart on issues such as climate finance.

G20 talks hosted by South Africa failed to reach consensus, focusing on climate finance. Key finance officials from several countries were absent, and discussions ended without a joint communique. A chair's summary highlighted commitments against protectionism and the need for a transparent multilateral trading system.

Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 developed and developing nations have gathered in South Africa for a two-day meeting.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A number of finance ministers skipped a gathering of the Group of 20 top economies in South Africa on Wednesday, and other top officials curtailed trips to a meeting marred by disputes over the main issues of climate, debt and inequality.

This week's talks in Cape Town were overshadowed by the absence of several key finance chiefs and foreign aid cuts by major economies like the United States and Britain. Disputes over trade, the Ukraine war and how to tackle climate change have long made it hard for the G20 grouping to make serious progress on global challenges.

The two-day meeting in Cape Town ended without a communique, with current G20 leader South Africa saying there was not sufficient consensus to issue one. In his opening remarks at the event, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to the fractured geopolitical climate and stressed the importance of international cooperation.