New Delhi Hosts G-20 Summit, African Union Joins as Permanent Member
New Delhi, India – The G-20 summit, the world’s largest economic confederation, commenced yesterday in New Delhi. In a historic move, India’s recommendation to include the 55-nation African Union as a permanent member of the organization was accepted. This decision was supported by all member countries attending the summit.
During his inaugural address, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of global cooperation and overcoming the global trust deficit. He expressed his gratitude for India assuming the leadership position within the G-20, marking the first time the country has held this honor. The G-20 includes countries such as the United States, Russia, China, Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, and Japan, representing two-thirds of the world’s population, 85 percent of global GDP, and 75 percent of global trade.
The G-20, established in 1999, has expanded for the first time by accepting India’s recommendation. This move highlights India’s commitment to inclusive and coordinated action on a global scale. As a symbol of this leadership, Prime Minister Modi invited Azali Azoumani, the President of the Union of Cameroon and Chairperson of the African Union, to sit with the leaders of other member states.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar escorted President Azoumani and facilitated his participation in the summit. Prime Minister Modi considered this inclusion as a victory for India’s bid to host the summit.
With the exception of China and Russia, leaders from all other member countries attended the eighth G-20 summit in New Delhi. Representing their respective nations, these leaders participated in the summit’s first session, titled ‘Ore Bhumi’.
During his address, Prime Minister Modi stressed the need to work together for the global good and emphasized the challenge of the global trust deficit, worsened by recent conflicts. However, he expressed confidence in overcoming this challenge, drawing parallels to the successful defeat of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
As India assumes leadership of the G-20, Prime Minister Modi called for building mutual trust among member countries. He emphasized that India’s leadership signifies inclusive and coordinated action to find sustainable solutions to long-standing problems and challenges.
The G-20 summit in India has evolved into a people’s conference, with over 200 programs conducted across more than 60 cities in the country. The summit aims to address a wide range of issues, including the global economy, North-South divide, food and energy governance, terrorism, cybersecurity, and health and water security.
Prime Minister Modi extended a warm welcome to the leaders of the G-20 countries who arrived early for the conference. The welcoming event took place against the backdrop of the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha, featuring the words ‘World is one family,’ ‘Vasuthaiva Kutumbakam,’ ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ and the G-20 logo. The reception exuded a festive atmosphere and featured national flags of the G-20 and special invitee countries.
The G-20 summit is expected to foster global collaboration and address pressing global issues through shared efforts and a spirit of unity.