India (Commonwealth Union)_ During his participation in the 15th BRICS Summit held in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the imperative of implementing reforms within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Multilateral Financial Institutions. BRICS, a consortium of major economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, convened the summit in Johannesburg, where not only Prime Minister Modi but also Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Brazilian President Lula da Silva were in attendance.
According to the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders engaged in substantive discussions encompassing global economic recuperation, collaboration with Africa and the Global South, and an assessment of the advancements achieved in the BRICS agenda thus far. Over the course of the summit, Prime Minister Modi underscored several crucial points through various interventions, such as the necessity for clearly defined timelines for reforms in the UNSC and WTO. Furthermore, he proposed cooperation in diverse domains, including the safeguarding of Big Cats, space exploration, and traditional medicine.
The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs articulated that in his various interventions, the Prime Minister highlighted the following: “Called for setting defined timelines for UNSC reforms; Called for reform of Multilateral Financial Institutions; Called for reform of WTO; Exhorted BRICS to build consensus on its expansion; Urged BRICS to send a global message of unity and not polarization; Proposed creation of a BRICS Space Exploration Consortium; Offered Indian Digital Public Infrastructure – the Indian stack to BRICS partners; Proposed undertaking skill mapping, skilling and promoting mobility among BRICS countries; Proposed joint efforts of BRICS countries for the protection of Big Cats under the International Big Cat Alliance; Proposed establishing a repository of traditional medicine among BRICS countries; Called upon BRICS partners to support AU’s permanent membership of the G20.”
Moreover, he called upon BRICS partners to endorse the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 and urged the coalition to project a global message of unity rather than polarization. The Ministry of External Affairs elaborated, while addressing the summit, the Prime Minister called for a more powerful BRICS that will be: B – Breaking barriers; R – Revitalising economies; I – Inspiring Innovation; C – Creating opportunities; S – Shaping the future.”
Prior to this, the opening day of the 15th BRICS Summit witnessed the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue. In his discourse at the dialogue, Prime Minister Modi expressed India’s imminent emergence as a 5 trillion dollar economy and its role as a future growth engine of the world. He conveyed that mutual trust and transparency can exert a profound impact, particularly within the Global South. This in-person BRICS Summit, the first in three consecutive years, marked a departure from virtual meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
