New Delhi: In a letter to the leaders of the G-20 nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for the full membership of the African Union of the grouping at its upcoming summit in India, official sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a "bold step" to enhance Africa's voice on the international stage and in shaping the future of "our shared world", they said. "He has written to G-20 counterparts to propose that the African Union be given full membership at the upcoming Delhi Summit of G-20, as requested by them," said a source.
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"The prime minister has led from the front on this matter, which he strongly advocates and supports," according to the source. This will be the right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive, and representative global architecture and governance, the sources said.
As part of India's G20 presidency, Modi has been particularly focusing on incorporating priorities of the African countries in the G-20 agenda. The membership of African nations can be important for India, which is set to host the G-20 Summit in New Delhi in September.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi often advocates more participation of smaller nations in the big global scene also as he often spoke for the countries of the Global South, particularly of African countries, on international platforms. As part of India’s G-20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused on fixing the priorities of the African countries in the grouping’s agenda, sources said.
The total population of the member states of the African Union, which was founded in 2001 to replace the Organisation of African Unity, is more than 1.3 billion. The African Union represents the interests of African states at international forums and it has the status of a permanent observer at the United Nations General Assembly.
