AU has "not yet" received invitation to G20, says spokeswoman

The African Union (AU) has "not yet" received an invitation to this weekend's G20 summit, at which India and the United States are seeking to integrate the pan-African organization, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

"So far, the AU Commission has not yet received an invitation to take part in the summit", scheduled for September 9 and 10 in New Delhi, Ebba Kalondo, spokesperson for AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, told AFP.

The G20 brings together 19 countries and the European Union, which together account for 85% of the world's economy and two-thirds of its population.

At the end of August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his wish for the AU to become a member of the G20, which currently counts only one African country, South Africa.

"We have invited the African Union with the idea of granting it permanent membership" of the G20, said Mr. Modi at the B20 business forum, a prelude to the summit.

In December, US President Joe Biden had already expressed his wish for the AU to join the G20 as a permanent member, assuring that "it's going to happen".

"We look forward to warmly welcoming the African Union as a permanent member of the G20," said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday, adding, "We believe the voice of the African Union will make the G20 stronger."

Based in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, the AU has 55 member countries, totaling three trillion dollars in GDP.