PM Modi hopes BRICS will support India's bid for permanent G20 membership to African Union  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hoped that BRICS nations would support India’s proposal to accord permanent membership of the G20 to the African Union. India is according “highest priority” to the issues of countries of the Global South under its G20 presidency, PM Modi said in his address at the BRICS ((Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) summit in Johannesburg on Wednesday. India is hosting the G20 summit on September 9 and 10. All the BRICS nations are permanent members of the G20. “We have also proposed to give permanent membership of G20 to the African Union. I am sure all the BRICS partners are also together in the G20 and all will support our proposal,” Modi said. The African Union (AU) is an influential organisation consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. In June, Modi wrote to the leaders of the G20 countries pitching for giving the African Union full membership of the grouping at its upcoming summit in New Delhi. The proposal was formally included in the draft leaders’ declaration at the third G20 Sherpas’ meeting that took place in Karnataka’s Hampi from July 13 to 16. Last month, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant told PTI that Prime Minister Modi’s proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G-20 has received an overwhelming response from the grouping. In his address, Modi also referred to India’s hosting of the Voice of Global South summit in January. “125 countries participated in the Voice of Global South summit held in January this year, sharing their concerns and priorities,” he said. The Prime Minister also complimented South Africa for giving special importance to countries of the Global South under its presidency of BRICS. “The countries of the Global South under the chairmanship of South Africa have been given special importance in BRICS. We heartily welcome it,” Modi said. “This is not only the expectation of the present time, but also the need. India has given top priority to this subject in its G-20 chairmanship,” he said. Modi arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday on a three-day visit primarily to attend the BRICS summit. The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.