G20 Summit 2023: PM Modi inducts ‘African Union’ as permanent member of economic grouping

The African Union has been made a permanent member of the Group of 20 countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on September 9, 2023. In his opening remarks at the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi invited the AU, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

The Chairperson of AU Assoumani had arrived in the national capital on Friday. He was received by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, Raosaheb Danve at the New Delhi airport.

Opening Remarks

“With everyone’s approval, I request the AU head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” Modi said in his address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “India’s G20 presidency has become a symbol of inclusion, of ‘Sabka saath’ both inside and outside the country. This has become people’s G20 in India. Crores of Indians are connected to this.

In more than 60 cities of the country, more than 200 meetings have taken place. With the sense of ‘Sabka Saath’, India had proposed that the African Union be granted permanent membership of G20. I believe that all of us agree to this proposal.” The External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accosted the President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani as he took his seat among world leaders.

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Aim of PM Modi

Adding the African Union as a member of G20 was among India’s key aims to achieve during the ongoing G20 summit. The move to include the African Union in the G20 grouping was proposed by PM Modi earlier this June. PM Modi had proposed that the AU, a bloc of 55 countries from the African continent that was launched in 2002, be given full membership on their request.

In June 2023, Prime Minister Modi said that he had written to G20 counterparts to provide the African Union with full membership at this G20 Summit.

Message of Condolence (Morocco Earthquake)

“Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time, PM Modi said in his inaugural address.

India’s Global South Initiative

In a recent editorial that has been published in newspapers, PM Modi wrote “The voice of Global South Summit, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our Presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South. Further, our Presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.”