In his opening remarks, Modi slammed a ceremonial gavel as he asked the leader of the African Union to take his place as a permanent G20 member.
India wants a permanent place on the UN Security Council, therefore Modi has framed the summit as the country’s diplomatic coming of age and is attempting to position his nation as the voice of the Global South.
The African Union has 55 members at full strength, but six junta-ruled countries are now suspended. With almost 1.4 billion inhabitants, it has a $3 trillion GDP overall.
The G20 was made up of 19 nations and the EU, accounting for 85% of the global GDP, with South Africa being the only member from the continent.
Plan for infrastructure
The United States announced that ambitious plans to increase trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe will be unveiled by G20 partners on Saturday outside of the summit.
It is a modern-day Spice Route that might better connect three regions that together make up nearly a third of the world’s economy. It also serves as a viable alternative to China’s substantial infrastructure expenditure.
A deal to study a railway and port project to improve trade flows between Europe and India will be signed on the fringes of the G20 meeting by Washington, Saudi Arabia, the EU, UAE, and others, according to sources.