Johannesburg. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ‘BRICS Leaders’ Retreat’ in South Africa on Tuesday. Meanwhile, he held discussions with other leaders of the Group of Five countries leveraging the BRICS platform to find solutions to key global developments and international challenges. Modi arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday on a four-day visit to South Africa and Greece. In Johannesburg, he will participate in the 15th BRICS Leaders Summit to be held from August 22 to 24 at the invitation of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
Four years will meet on BRICS platform
This is the first face-to-face summit of BRICS leaders since 2019 due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. BRICS countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. These countries represent 41 percent of the world’s population, 24 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), and 16 percent of trade. Presidents of more than 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East have also been invited to participate in the conference. Many of these have applied to become members of BRICS, an item on the summit’s agenda.
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PM Modi attended ‘BRICS Leaders Retreat’
PM Modi attended the ‘BRICS Leaders Retreat’ on Tuesday. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on social media platform ‘X’, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Summer Palace to participate in the ‘BRICS Leaders Retreat’. He was warmly welcomed by the host, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa. “The Prime Minister and others Will discuss international developments with BRICS leaders and leverage the BRICS platform to find solutions to global challenges,” Bagchi said. Also shared some pictures taken with other BRICS leaders on social media platform ‘X’.
Improving the ease of doing business in India
Earlier, the Prime Minister addressed the ‘BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue’ in Johannesburg. He said that reforms in ‘mission-mode’ have improved the ease of doing business in India. The Prime Minister invited industrialists to be a part of the country’s development journey. He said that India will soon become a five trillion dollar economy and will become an engine of progress for the entire world in the years to come.
PM Modi said- Unlimited possibilities of using UPI
Referring to India’s progress on the digital transaction front, he said there is immense potential for BRICS to use the ‘Unified Payments Interface’ (UPI). PM Modi said that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa together can contribute significantly to global welfare, especially the welfare of the ‘Global South’. The Global South refers to countries that are often referred to as developing, less developed or underdeveloped. These are mainly located in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
‘Make in India, Make for the World’
He said, “The BRICS Business Forum gave me an opportunity to highlight India’s development path and steps taken to promote ease of doing business and availability of public services. It also provided an opportunity to highlight the progress India has made in digital payments, infrastructure creation, startup world and other areas.’ In the last few years, we have made a lot of progress in IT, Semiconductor and other such fields. Our economic approach also places great importance on women’s empowerment.
Xi Jinping targeted America
Meanwhile, media reports from Johannesburg said Chinese President Xi Jinping had left the BRICS business forum in South Africa on Tuesday where he was expected to deliver a speech with other leaders of the bloc. China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Chinfing’s speech at the event, in which he criticized the US for its ‘hegemonic’ tendencies. In the speech, Xi Jinping said that the US tends to fight against countries that threaten its dominance in global affairs and financial markets. He said that every country has the right to develop and people should have the freedom to lead a happy life. But the Chinese president told the U.S. launched a veiled attack on the country saying it was “keen to maintain supremacy and ready to go to any extent to cripple emerging markets and developing countries”.
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Tags: BRICS Summit, PM Modi
First published: August 23, 2023, 14:43 IST