Source : India Today
G20 Summit: PM Modi welcomes African Union into G20 by hugging AU President, urges to end global trust deficit
The African Union became a permanent member of the G20 on Saturday, following a proposal put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that was welcomed by all member countries.
Thereafter, PM Modi invited the President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, to take his seat at the G20 high table.
Amid cheers and applause, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar escorted Assoumani to his seat, following which, PM Modi and Assoumani shared a warm hug.
Spoke at Session 1 of the G20 Summit on the subject of One Earth. Highlighted the need to further human centric development, which is also something Indian culture has always emphasised on.
It is with a spirit of One Earth that India has worked on initiatives such as LiFE… pic.twitter.com/lVB2OoBioI
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
“With support from all of you, I invite the African Union to join the G20,” PM Modi said at the G20 Summit. The proposal to bring this key bloc of the global south to the elite group of world’s top economies was well-received.
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. pic.twitter.com/fQQvNEA17o
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
“In keeping with the sentiment of sabka saath (with everyone), India has proposed that the African Union should be given permanent membership of the G20. I believe we are all in agreement on this proposal. With your agreement (he banged the gavel thrice)…,” Modi said.
With this, the 55-nation African Union became a permanent member at the G20.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “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.”
India has been pushing for the African Union’s G20 membership for long time. In June this year, PM Modi wrote to the G20 leaders pitching for making AU a permanent member of the grouping.
The AU is an influential organisation comprising 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent.
