Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit to South Africa and Greece from Tuesday. During his three-day visit to Johannesburg, Prime Minister Modi will attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
The summit will be held from August 22 to August 24. This is the first in-person BRICS summit to be held since 2019. The BRICS grouping consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
PM Modi’s Aug 22 Schedule
The Prime Minister will arrive at Waterkloof Air Force Base around 5.15 pm. Two hours later, he will attend BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue. At 9:30 pm, he will participate in BRICS Leaders’ Retreat.
The BRICS nations represent 42% of the world’s population along with a significant 27% of the global GDP. The theme of the summit this year is BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism.
“The summit will provide an opportunity to review progress of the initiatives launched by the grouping and identify future areas of activity,” the external affairs ministry said in a press release.
PM Modi will also take part in the special event BRICS – Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue which are being organised after the BRICS leadership summit. This will include other nations invited by South Africa.
PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders who will be present in Johannesburg. The MEA said that the itinerary of bilateral meetings is still evolving.
A business delegation will travel with PM Modi to South Africa. They will attend BRICS business track meetings and also the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum meetings.
Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend the BRICS Summit in person and will also undertake a state visit. This is the second time Xi Jinping is stepping outside China this year after his cross border trip to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present in Johannesburg due to the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin in March this year, linking him to the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children.
BRICS Expansion
The external affairs ministry during a special briefing on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s departure said India has positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. “There is considerable interest among many nations to join BRICS. As far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we are clear, we have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Discussions are ongoing between Sherpas of BRICS nations regarding expansion and to reach a consensus,” foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said.
Greece Visit
PM Modi will also visit Greece on August 25 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This is the first time in 40 years an Indian Prime Minister is embarking on an official visit to Athens. Both leaders will discuss ways to further deepen the relationship and PM Modi will also interact with business leaders from both countries, as well as with the Indian community in Greece.
“India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties,” the external affairs ministry said in a press release.
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