African Union addition in G20 is a sharp contrast to China “Debt Diplomacy”.
The addition of the African Union as an indefinite member of the G20 underscores New Delhi’s efforts to form a diverse and impartial bloc that “echoes aspirations of the Global South” and indicates a more complete picture of global economic and geopolitical realities.
Adding the African Union in the G20 was one of India’s top priorities for this summit, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi originally requested in June.
India’s desire to involve Africa, which contains 60% of the world’s renewable energy assets and more than 30% of the minerals required to build renewable and low-carbon technologies, contrasts sharply with China’s “debt diplomacy.”
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The administration thinks that treating nations as equals will result in long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
New Delhi sees the participation of all nations in a collective march of progress as the hallmark of global leadership, as it seeks to make its imprint while holding the rotating presidency of the G20.
Other nations have each tried to do something similar and only then were accepted as ‘global leaders’, and India’s era is just beginning. Prime Minister Modi’s move to champion the inclusion of Africa is therefore a “fundamentally transformative one for multiple reasons”, sources said.
Earlier today the PM called for the overturning of a “global trust deficit” and welcomed African Union Chair and Comoros President Azali Assoumani to the G20 family; “the idea of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas‘ can be a guide to the world,” the Prime Minister said.
“Before moving forward with proceedings, I would like to invite the President of the African Union to take his place as a permanent member of the G20,” the Prime Minister then said.
Following that, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar walked Mr Assoumani to his seat at the high table, where the African leader exchanged a cordial handshake and hug with PM Modi, to considerable acclaim.
As African Union addition in G20 a contrast to China “Debt Diplomacy”The addition of the African Union also reflects India’s commitment to raising concerns of the Global South at the world’s forums.
“Our G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation with not just G20 partners, but also fellow travelers in the Global South, whose voice is often unheard,” he said last year.
