Russian FM Vows Speedy Resolution to African Union's G20 Membership Bid With Moscow's Help

The issue of the African Union's inclusion in the Group of Twenty (G20) will be resolved with active Russia's assistance, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated during the Business Council's meeting.

"In the near future, with our active assistance, the issue of the African Union's inclusion in the Group of Twenty will be resolved. This will allow the continent to fully participate in the formation of an international agenda and in the mechanisms of global governance," Lavrov noted.

The minister outlined that Russia supports an idea of global monetary resources' redistribution in favor of new centers of economic growth, including the countries of the African continent.

"Ensuring economic and financial independence remains one of the key factors for the development of Africa and its food security. Russia takes a principled position in support of the need to reform the global financial architecture and increase the role of new centers of economic growth in it. We advocate the redistribution of global monetary resources in their favor, we pay special attention to the needs of African states," Lavrov said.

As the Foreign Minister stressed, in terms of practical cooperation, Africa occupies the place of one of the fastest growing export markets for Russian goods and manufacturers.

Indian Prime Minister Modi Says African Union Must Be Given Full Membership of G20

23 June 2023, 09:20

"A significant part of the events planned for July this year within the framework of the second Russia-Africa summit will be devoted to the issues I mentioned, and we hope that the summit will give a powerful impetus to the comprehensive development of Russian-African relations," Lavrov concluded.

This Thursday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the African Union should become a full member of the G20 group to give the Global South a voice in international affairs.

"Giving a voice to the Global South is the way forward. That is why I firmly believe that the African Union [should] be given full membership in the G20," Modi outlined.

Earlier in March, Russia and China announced their support for the African Union joining the G20 when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Moscow in order to offer developing nations and emerging market economies a "greater voice" internationally.

"The parties are determined to strengthen coordination within the G20 and other multilateral mechanisms [...] to improve global economic governance in a fair and rational manner so that it better reflects the structure of the world economy, which includes increasing representation and giving greater voice to emerging market economies and developing countries. The parties support the accession of the African Union to the G20," a joint statement published by the Kremlin stated.