In a historic development at the G20 summit hosted in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the African Union (AU) has been granted permanent membership status within the G20, a group consisting of some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential nations.
This significant decision positions the AU alongside the European Union (EU) as the only regional blocs with full G20 membership, marking a transformative moment in global diplomacy.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Modi extended a warm welcome to the AU, represented by its Chairperson, Azali Assoumani, and invited them to participate as permanent members at the G20 leaders’ table.
Modi expressed his honor in welcoming the African Union as a permanent member, emphasizing, “This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South.” The decision to admit the AU as a permanent member was originally proposed by Modi in June, a move that has now come to fruition at the G20 summit.
