Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the G20 summit on Saturday in New Delhi by inviting the African Union, represented by its president, Azali Assoumani, President of the Comoros, to join the group’s leaders as a permanent member. The African Union, which comprises 55 member states, will have the same status as the European Union, which was the only regional bloc with full membership in the G20. The draft declaration stated, “We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20, and we believe that including the African Union in the group will contribute significantly to confronting the global challenges of our time,” according to Reuters. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent from the opening of the two-day summit. During his speech, Al-Sisi welcomed the African Union joining the group.
