Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed the Chairman of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20 during the grouping’s annual summit in New Delhi. On India’s initiative, a draft declaration was brought by the members to include the AU in G20, which will now become G21.
“We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 and strongly believe that inclusion of the African Union into the G20 will significantly contribute to addressing the global challenges of our time,” the draft declaration said.
In his remarks to open the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the African Union chairman to take his seat as a permanent member.
“With everyone’s approval, I request the AU head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” Modi said in his address.
AU Chief hugs PM Modi
G20 Summit in New Delhi admits African Union as permanent member
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The announcement from PM Modi was followed by a huge round of applause from other world leaders present there to attend the first “One Earth” session.
After the announcement African Union Chairman Azali Assoumani went to PM Modi’s seat and hugged him. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accosted Assoumani as he took his seat among world leaders.
Earlier in the June, PM Modi had proposed to include the African Union as a permanent member of the grouping. India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant had Friday said that PM Modi’s proposal received positive response from all the members and a formal decision would be taken before the session starts.
Adding the African Union as a member of G20 was among India’s key aims to achieve during the ongoing G20 summit. The move is also being seen as India’s counter to China’s growing influence in the African countries.