Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the 15th Brics summit in Johannesburg, which will include discussions on economic cooperation, food security, and Brics expansion. The summit will also focus on the need for member-states to respect each other’s security interests and speak in one voice against terrorism. The summit will be the first in-person Brics summit since 2019, with leaders from over 50 countries expected to attend.
Modi will address the business forum on Tuesday, underlining the significance of Brics in the face of the pandemic and the Ukraine war. He will also highlight the achievements of his government, such as digital transformation and ease of doing business. The leaders’ retreat on the first day will see Modi meeting with Xi Jinping for the first time since their brief conversation at the G20 summit in Bali last year.
The plenary session on Wednesday will see discussions on geopolitical issues, including the Ukraine crisis, with South Africa leading an African initiative to end the crisis. Modi is expected to reiterate the need to end the war immediately and allow dialogue and diplomacy to take over. With Xi present, he may also raise the issue of terrorism, similar to the virtual summit last year.
With 22 countries queuing up for Brics membership, the talks will also focus on the expansion of the bloc. India and Brazil have tread cautiously on the issue, with India denying blocking the proposed expansion and stating it only wants the criteria for membership to be finalized first.
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