The African Union has become a permanent member of the G20, which brings together the richest and most powerful countries in the world.

The African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, now has the same status as the European Union. Its previous designation was “invited international organization”.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the bloc’s summit in New Delhi invited the AU, represented by President Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the G20 leaders’ table as a permanent member.

“I am honored to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the South,” said a message posted on Modi’s official account on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

This move was proposed by Modi in June.

Other issues discussed at the summit include increased lending to developing countries by multilateral institutions, reform of international debt architecture, regulation of cryptocurrencies and the impact of geopolitics on security food and energy.

The project of 38 pages that was distributed to members left the paragraph “The G20 previously comprised 19 countries and the European Union, whose members represent approximately 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of global trade and approximately two-thirds of world population.