NEW: AU hails its entry into G20 as full member

African Union (AU) Commission chairperson Moussa Faki on Saturday hailed the decision to grant the continental body permanent membership in the Group of 20 (G20).

“I welcome the AU’s entry into the G20 as (a) full member. The membership, for which we have long been advocating, will provide a propitious framework for amplifying advocacy in favor of the continent and its effective contribution to meeting global challenges,” Faki wrote on social media X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier on Saturday, the G20 members agreed to grant permanent membership to the AU in an effort to make the group more representative.

The agreement was reached at the inaugural session of the two-day G20 summit held in the Indian capital of New Delhi during the weekend.

Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of the Comoros and current AU chairperson, then assumed his seat representing the 55-member continental body for the session.

China is the first country that explicitly expressed its support for the AU’s membership in the G20.

The G20 meeting, which started on Saturday, is expected to continue until Sunday. – Xinhua