Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — has turned into a platform to discuss issues concerning the “entire Global South”.
“BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors. We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system,” Modi said in a statement upon his departure for Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The Indian Prime Minister expressed hope that the BRICS Summit and related events would present the opportunity to “future areas of cooperation and review institutional development”.
He noted that besides attending the BRICS Summit, he would also be participating in the 'BRICS-Africa Outreach' and the ‘BRICS Plus Dialogue’ in Johannesburg.
He remarked that he looked forward to holding discussions with leaders of guest countries that have been invited to this year’s meeting by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has said that the deliberations on BRICS' potential expansion would be on the agenda of the leaders’ meeting.
Pretoria has said that 23 countries have expressed a formal interest in joining the BRICS grouping, while nearly 20 others have enquired about the membership.
Modi’s Visit to Greece
The Indian Prime Minister stated that he would be paying an official visit to Athens on 25 August at the invitation of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after attending the BRICS Summit.
“This will be my first visit to this ancient land. I have the honor to be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Greece after 40 years,” Modi said.
The Indian leader emphasized that bilateral relations between India and Greece have been bolstered in recent years by “shared values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism”.
“Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defense, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer,” he stated.
Modi expressed confidence that the official visit to Greece will herald a “new chapter in our multifaceted relationship”.