Grain deal will be at the center of G20 summit, – Charles Michel

It is difficult to predict whether the G20 leaders will reach a consensus on a communiqué at the end of the summit in New Delhi this weekend.

This was stated on Friday by the President of the European Council Charles Michel, Reuters reports.

Speaking in the Indian capital, Michel said the European Union wants the G20 to focus on global challenges to food and energy security.

Among the issues expected to come up at the talks is Russia’s blocking of grain shipments from Ukraine through the Black Sea, which is affecting food security in many countries.

Michel does not expect the summit to solve all the “major” global problems, but added that the EU wants the bloc to accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and speak out on climate and poverty reduction.

The decision will be announced during a summit in India this weekend, Bloomberg reports.

The African Union currently has 55 members. It will receive the status of an “invited international organization”, the same as the European Union.

According to the newspaper’s sources, this is part of an effort to give African countries a stronger voice on global issues such as climate change and emerging market debt, especially as the markets of the so-called Global South begin to play a more prominent role in the world.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit, has made it a priority to grant full membership to the African Union. This decision is also supported by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

In early May, during a visit to the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported calls for the bloc to become a permanent member of the G20 to give it a greater voice in efforts to address global issues. Scholz argued that Africa should play a more important international role to reflect its growing importance in an increasingly fragmented and multipolar world order.

The European Union is eager to take some credit for the G20’s move toward the African Union. The leaders of the bloc plan to hold a high-level meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

The Europe-Africa meeting will include, among other things, a discussion of the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine for global food security.

The G20 summit will be held on September 9-10 in New Delhi.

Tags: Black Sea grain deal