NEW DELHI: It was a red letter day for the African Union (AU) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally declared its inclusion as a permanent member of the G20 group. “It is an honour to welcome the African Union to the G20 fold. India believes in a collaborative future and this step further solidifies our collective commitment to global progress. Here is to a brighter future for the Global South,’’ Modi said.
Modi had in June mooted the idea of including the AU in the G20. Until now, the only African country in grouping was South Africa. It was in 2022 that the then AU President, Macky Sall (President of Senegal), expressed his desire for the union to be a part of the Group of 20. Modi had then guaranteed that it would be done.
Sall, who had met Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg last month, thanked Modi for fulfilling his guarantee.
Modi embraced the incumbent AU President, Azali Assoumani, and invited him to take his seat. Assoumani is the President of Comoros. “The G20 has just ratified, through the voice of Prime Minister Modi, the admission of the AU into its fold. On behalf of the African continent, I sincerely thank all the member countries of the G20 for this historic admission,’’ Assoumani said.
AU is a grouping of 55 countries. Many African leaders had argued that Europe is represented by five countries as well as the European Union (EU), and the African Union merits similar representation. “We are delighted that the G20 has accepted the AU as a member,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.