The African Union became a permanent member of the G20 on 9th September 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the Head of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, to take his seat as a permanent member of the G20 as the first session of the G20 Summit got underway in New Delhi this morning. India had proposed that the African Union be granted permanent membership of G20 with the sense of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. In his remarks at the first session titled ‘One Earth’, Mr Modi said India’s G20 presidency has become a symbol of inclusion, of ‘sabka saath’ both inside and outside the country. He added that this has become the people’s G20 in India as crores of Indians are connected to this.
India today called upon the world together to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. Prime Minister Modi said this is the time for everyone to move together. He said whether it is management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, a solid solution has to be found for future generations. Mr Modi said the 21st century is an important time to show the world a new direction. He stressed that this is the time when old problems are seeking new solutions and the world should move ahead fulfilling responsibilities with a human-centric approach. He pointed out that if the world can defeat COVID-19, it can also triumph over the trust deficit caused by the war.