Narendra Modi said that “I also look forward to holding bilateral meetings with some of the Leaders present in Johannesburg for the 15th BRICS Summit.
Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Johannesburg to take part in the 15th BRICS Summit. Modi said he is looking forward to having bilateral discussions with some of the world leaders in Johannesburg in his farewell statement before travelling to South Africa. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi will attend the BRICS Summit at Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa’s invitation.
Modi said the summit will provide a useful opportunity for its members to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development. He added BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors.
He stated, “We appreciate that BRICS has grown into a platform for discussing and deliberating on topics of interest for the whole Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the global system. In addition, he stated, “I look forward to holding bilateral meetings with some of the Leaders present in Johannesburg.”
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, invited me to the country, and I will be there from August 22 to August 24, 2023, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, which will be hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg, Modi added.
According to Modi, he would depart from South Africa and fly to Athens, Greece, on August 25 at Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ invitation. “I’ve never been to this remote location. After 40 years, I have the privilege of being the first Indian prime minister to visit Greece,” he remarked.
The two civilizations have been in contact for more than two millennia, and in recent years, the relations have been enhanced by the shared respect for democracy, the rule of law, and pluralism, he said. The two nations have been collaborating in a variety of fields, including trade and investment, defence, and cultural and interpersonal ties, he continued.
He was excited about going to Greece and starting a new chapter in their complex relationship, Modi said. The world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are together known as BRICS. August 22–24 will see the summit’s events. The trip commemorates the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between India and South Africa and will be Modi’s third visit to the country.
South Africa is in charge of the BRICS this year. “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development, and inclusive multilateralism” is the summit’s topic for this year.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the BRICS Summit has been held virtually for the past three years. This will be the first in-person summit in that time.
In a press conference on Monday, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “As I mentioned in my remarks, the host country South Africa has invited a large number of guest countries, aside from, of course, the BRICS members who would be present there.” Modi is travelling to South Africa and Greece.
According to Kwatra, an Indian business delegation is also coming to the nation to attend the Business Tracks sessions.
According to Kwatra, who provided information regarding the PM’s trip, “For the 15th BRICS Summit, a business delegation from India is also travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings as well as the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum.”
“The Prime Minister’s schedule in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa is still being developed,” Kwatra stated.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, will virtually attend the 15th summit, with Sergey Lavrov serving as the delegation’s head. Additionally, he will take part in a unique occasion with the theme “Brics – Africa outreach and Brics plus dialogue”. Numerous nations, most of which are from the African continent, have been invited by South Africa to participate in this, which is being organised following the summit.
