Bloomberg: The G20 agreed to accept the African Union into its ranks

The G20 agreed to grant the African Union the status of a permanent member of the bloc.

This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources familiar with the matter.

According to them, this move will give the African Union the same status as the EU. The decision is expected to be announced at a summit in India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit, has made full membership of the African Union his priority. Giorgia Maloni from Italy also advocated for the blocʼs membership in the G20.

In early May, during a visit to Ethiopia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the African Union to become a permanent member of the G20. Scholz emphasized that Africa must play a greater international role.

EU leaders plan to hold a high-level meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India. It will discuss the consequences of Russiaʼs war in Ukraine for global food security, reforming the global financial architecture, improving conditions for private investment and infrastructure projects in Africa, as well as the situation in the Sahel region.

• The G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Great Britain, the United States, the European Union and Russia.