New Delhi (dpa) – The G20 group of important industrialized and developing countries accepted the African Union (AU) as a member. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this on Saturday at the opening of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. India currently leads the group of states.
“With the consent of all of you, I would like to invite the Chairman of the African Union to take his seat as a permanent member of the G20,” Modi said. Comoros President and current AU chairman Azali Assoumani approached Modi and hugged him.
The head of the Indian government is trying to present his country as a leader of the southern countries. For him, the entry of the African Union was an important success of the summit.
Until now, the European Union with its 27 member countries is the only regional organization that is a member of the G20. The AU includes all internationally recognized African countries as well as the controversial Western Sahara country under international law. There are a total of 55 states.
Von der Leyen: Very happy
The AU represents the interests of approximately 1.3 billion people and is the country with the youngest and fastest growing population in the world. According to estimates, Africa will have about 2.5 billion people by 2050. Only about 450 million people live in the EU.
EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the decision. “It is an honor to welcome the African Union as a new member of the G20,” said von der Leyen.
Apart from the EU, the G20 group includes 19 countries with the strongest economies in the world. It is a central forum for international economic cooperation, but now also discusses many other global issues – from the fight against terrorism to climate protection and war. Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, this forum is one of the few remaining forums where the West and Russia meet directly.
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