India’s Narendra Modi says world leaders have agreed to adopt a joint “New Delhi Declaration” after only the first day of talks at the G20 summit in the capital.
Countries attending the summit had been expected to struggle to agree a joint statement given their deep divisions over the war in Ukraine, which saw Russia’s Vladimir Putin skip the event altogether.
Earlier, India invited the president of the African Union to take up a chair as a permanent member of the G20 in a historic expansion of the bloc.
Hosting this weekend’s leaders’ summit in Delhi, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi used his opening remarks to invite up the president of the AU, which represents 55 African nations, and said there was consensus among existing members to approve the move.
Delegates applauded as Comoros president Azali Assoumani stepped up to join the round table, where an extra microphone and a place tag reading “African Union” were hastily added, and was warmly hugged by Mr Modi.
This morning Rishi Sunak and other world leaders arrived at the New Delhi venue for the start of the G20 summit, and were greeted by Mr Modi on the red carpet.
