Comoros President thanks PM Modi for making African Union permanent member of G20

The president of Comoros and chair of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, praised PM Modi on Sunday for taking the initiative and working to make the African Union a permanent member of the G20.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the two leaders met in private on Sunday.

Given India’s position and connections to Africa, the President of the Union of Comoros expressed his particular joy that this had taken place during India’s G20 Presidency.

He believed that this would improve ties between India and the Comoros as well. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he also complimented the Prime Minister on the success of India’s G20 Presidency.

The African Union and Comoros were thanked by PM Modi for joining the G20. He also emphasized India’s efforts to represent the Voice of the Global South and mentioned the Voice of the Global South Summit that it hosted in January 2023.

The two leaders also had the chance to talk about their shared relationship. According to the press release, they addressed the potential for collaboration in fields like maritime security, capacity building, and development partnership while expressing their delight with the numerous efforts now underway.

Assoumani claimed on Sunday that India is “ahead of China now” in terms of “inhabitance” and is a powerhouse.
India, according to Assoumani, has room in Africa as the fifth powerhouse in the globe.

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There is place for India in Africa because it is the fifth superpower in the globe. India’s strength—which we also know—is such that it ventured into space. So all we have to do is coordinate…India is a powerhouse in terms of population, and it has recently surpassed China, according to the AU chair.
He commended India for its achievements in space science as well.

The African Union Chairperson spoke candidly about the hug he received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the African Union was formally admitted to the G20. He said it was an emotional time for him.

He continued, “I thought there would be discussion before a decision is made, but at the very beginning of the two-day summit on Sunday, the African Union was announced as a member of the G20 family.”

“I felt like crying. I felt a lot of emotion at the time. Because we truly believed that there would be discussion before a decision was made, but it was declared that we were a member at the very beginning of the Summit,” he remarked.

PM Modi welcomed the African Union, represented by Assoumani, to join the G20 leaders as a permanent member during his opening remarks at the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit on Saturday.

PM Modi referred to the African Union’s admission to the G20 as a “significant step” towards a more inclusive global conversation earlier on Sunday. He said that India was anticipating global cooperation for everyone’s benefit.

A union of 55 African countries makes up the African Union. PM Modi first suggested the idea of including the African Union in the G20 gathering back in June.