African Union (AU) chief Azali Assoumani on Sunday said that India is the fifth largest superpower in the world and there is enough room for India in Africa.
Assoumani also described the discussions during the two-day G20 Summit as "fruitful".
The African Union (AU) was included as a permanent member of G20 during the G20 Summit under India's presidency, which has been seen as an achievement as India has made the promotion of the concerns of the developing world central to its foreign policy and multilateral engagements.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Assoumani further said, "As we all know that India is the 5th superpower in the world so there is enough room for India in Africa. We also know that India is so powerful that it went to space. So we just need to coordinate. India is a superpower in terms of inhabitance, and now India is ahead of China."
Assoumani also had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two leaders discussed shipping and trade among other subjects.
The Indian push for AU as a permanent member of G20 is also being seen as countering Chinese engagement in the subcontinent. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has reached out a number of African countries and has acquired significant stakes in the continent. The projects are, however, under critcism for plunging host and partner countries into debt traps and producing projects with little practical value.
India has been calling for the greater integration of the Global South at the world stage and has championed the G20 membership of the AU to give more voice to the developing world in multilateral platforms, said international affairs expert Manish Dabhade to Outlook earlier, adding that this also counters China in Africa.
“Leading the developing world is key to Indian foreign policy and interests. The inclusion of AU in G20 in India’s presidency and other initiatives of India in Africa and elsewhere also counter China’s engagement in Africa and developing countries everywhere. China has an active presence in Africa with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Indian initiatives and G20 membership provide Africa an alternative and give the region a voice at the world stage that China does not give. That way, the AU membership of G20 is important and in line with Indian engagement with the Global South,” said Dabhade, also the founder of the think tank India Futures.
