India expects that the issue of the African Union joining the G20 will be resolved during the summit in New Delhi, said First Deputy Foreign Minister of India Vinay Kwatra.
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“All countries, all delegations present are making serious efforts to move towards a consensus on the African Union. Our Sherpa has already said that the Prime Minister (Indian Narendra Modi) has written a letter to all countries in the G20 with a proposal to include the African union as a full member of the G20. We expect that at the summit, which begins tomorrow morning, an appropriate decision will be taken on this issue,” Kwatra said during a special press conference of the Indian Foreign Ministry dedicated to the upcoming summit.
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Earlier, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that G20 countries agreed to grant the African Union permanent member status; G20 leaders are expected to announce this decision during a summit in India on September 9-10.
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It is noted that now the African Union will have the same status in the organization as the EU.
In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to G20 leaders suggesting that the African Union be granted full membership in the group.