The African Union to become permanent member of G20

The Group of 20 summit has started in New Delhi, India. The African Union has been invited to join the group as a permanent member.

The announcement was made by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening of the G20 leaders' summit.

"Today, as the president of G20, India calls upon the world to come together to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance," Modi said.

The decision gives the African Union the same status as the EU.

The African Union is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. It has long been a guest invitee to the G20 gathering. However, the new status expands its rights. 

The G20 Summit is taking place on September 9-10 in New Delhi, India. Among others, the summit is being attended by US and French Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Fumio Kishida of the United Kingdom and Japan, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. For the first time, Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the summit. Instead, Chinese Prime Minister Lǐ Qiáng arrived.