Modi welcomes African Union into G20 as part of Global South push

NEW DELHI -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday by officially welcoming the African Union into the group as a permanent member.

India's G20 presidency is "a symbol of inclusion," both within and outside India, Modi said to inaugurate the opening session of the two-day gathering. "With this sentiment of inclusiveness, Bharat had proposed that the African Union should be given permanent membership in the G20," he said, using India's Hindi name. "I'm confident that we all [in the grouping] have consensus on this ... and [thus] I invite the head of the African Union to take his seat."