Putin hopes African Union joining G20 in September

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the decision to grant the African Union full membership of the G20 will be taken in the grouping's New Delhi Summit in September, according to the statement released by the Kremlin.

Putin said this in a trilateral meeting held with the Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.

In the trilateral meeting, Putin said that Russia is ready to help strengthen African countries’ sovereignty and contribute to Africa becoming a key partner in the new system of the multipolar world order.

"We support the Union’s involvement in the work of leading international associations. I would like to remind you that Russia was one of the first to react positively to the initiative advanced by the President of Senegal, who preceded you in this position, for granting the African Union full membership in the G20. We hope that the decision will be adopted at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September," Putin said in the meeting.

"We will give priority attention to these issues at the summit, which opens today. We will also discuss practical decisions on building up trade and economic cooperation, ensuring food and energy security, and developing national healthcare systems," he added.

Talking about trade ties, Putin said that despite the coronavirus and the "illegal sanctions" imposed against Russia, mutual trade reached approximately 18 billion US dollars in 2022 and increased by nearly 35 per cent in the first six months of 2023.

"We highly value our relations with the Union of the Comoros. They are based on the principles of mutual respect and a balance of each other’s interests and have development potential in a number of spheres. Of course, we are open to cooperation with your country in all areas," the Russian President added. In the meeting, the chairperson of the African Union said that Russia is a very important partner for Africa. "It is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed, and in times of need, Russia has always stood with Africa regardless of the problems that arose, including its struggle for independence," Assoumani said and adding that Russia has always been there, despite all the difficulties that Africa has been through.