The leaders of the 20 strongest countries in the world began an annual summit on Saturday in the Indian capital, New Delhi, granting the African Union permanent membership, with the aim of increasing the group's representation.

However, the group continues to face severe divisions over the war in Ukraine, as Western countries seek a strong condemnation of Russia, while other countries urge the group to focus on economic issues.

U.S. President Joe Biden and other G20 leaders will meet at the two-day summit at a new conference center costing $300 million called Bharat Mandapam, located opposite a stone fortress dating back to the 16th century.

Businesses, shops, offices, and schools in Delhi, which has a population of 20 million, have been closed, and traffic has been restricted as part of security measures to ensure smooth movements for the high-level meeting hosted by the country. Slums have been demolished and streets cleared of monkeys and stray dogs.

In his statements during the summit's opening, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the African Union, represented by its chairman Ghazali Osman, to sit at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

The summit is expected to be dominated by the West in the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who sent Premier Li Qiang to represent China, and Russian President Vladimir Putin also skipped the summit.

Among the leaders participating in the summit are U.S. President Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and others.