NEW DELHI – The G20, the premier forum for international economic cooperation, on Saturday formally added the African Union as a permanent member of it.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is chairing the this years’ summit in New Delhi, made the announcement in his opening remarks.
The African Union, which comprises 55 member states, now has the same status as the European Union. It previously holds designation was “invited international organization.”
Modi, in his opening remarks at the summit, invited the AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.
“We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 and strongly believe that inclusion of the African Union into the G20 will significantly contribute to addressing the global challenges of our time,” read the declaration.
Modi had proposed the permanent membership of AU in G20 in June this year.
The summit is expected to decide on various issued including more loans to developing nations by multilateral institutions, reform of international debt architecture, regulations on cryptocurrency and the impact of geopolitics on food and energy security.
It will also discuss various issues such as cryptocurrencies and reforms in multilateral development banks.
