AU made permanent member of G20 during meeting in New Delhi

The African Union was made a permanent member of the G20, following the meeting that took place earlier this month, according to Reuters, September 9. 

The G20 summit took place on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi, India’s capital. This month’s summit was the eighteenth G20 summit, the first took place in Washington DC in 2008 when George W. Bush was President of the United States and host leader. 

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, confirmed that the African Union (AU) would be made a permanent member of the global bloc. 

Modi,72, welcomed the AU’s delegate, Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a seat in the table of G20 leaders as a full-time member in his opening remarks. 

Assoumani is also the President of Comoros, a small country in East Africa and former French colony, gaining its independence in 1975. 

The move to make the AU a permanent member was pitched by the Indian Prime Minister back in June.

Modi recently tweeted, “Honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 Family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South.” 

During the summit, heads of states discussed issues such as the global economy, climate and energy, food security and the war in Ukraine amongst other important matters. 

Discussions on issues such as cryptocurrencies and reforms in multilateral development banks were also a key part of the meeting. 

French President, Emmanuel Macron, who currently has tumbling approval ratings, stressed at a press conference at the New Delhi summit that Paris would prepared to aid Morocco following a deadly earthquake that killed over 2,500 people in the country’s central region. 

France is waiting for a formal request to assist Morocco. This comes after many countries offering a helping hand to the Maghreb country. Poland, Israel and Iraq, among others have stated that they would do anything in their power to assist. 

REUTERS