Addis Ababa, September 9, 2023 (FBC) – The African Union (AU) has become a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, its Chairperson Azali Assoumani confirmed Saturday.
According to several reports, this development follows an announcement by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
Modi said that India had proposed the AU’s membership of the G20, and that he believed all the leaders present were in agreement with the proposal.
He then invited the AU chairperson, Azali Assoumani, to take his seat as a full member of the G20.
Following ratification of Africa’s accession to the G-20’s fold, the AU chairperson thanked all the member countries of the G-20 for this historic admission.
The AU is a 55-nation organization that represents the countries of the African continent. It is considered to be a leading voice for the developing nations.
The G20 is an influential group of countries that accounts for about 85% of the global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population. Its members meet annually to discuss global economic and financial issues.