Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
– Photo: ANI (File)
Expansion
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has given a big statement regarding the Russia-India-China (RIC) triumvirate just before the BRICS summit. Lavrov said that Asia is emerging as a world power. The trio of India, Russia and China is becoming the new economic center of the world. He said that this trio is an independent mechanism in itself. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on October 22-23 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS summit. PM Modi can also hold bilateral meetings with BRICS member countries.
Lavrov said that these countries have not met formally for the last few years, but even today they maintain a strong relationship. In the 1990s, there was an initiative to organize regular meetings of the Russia-India-China triumvirate. Later this trio expanded and later emerged as BRICS. Brazil and South Africa joined it. On January 1, 2024, four new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and United Arab Emirates were also included in BRICS. The Russian Foreign Minister said that BRICS is a symbol of the ongoing changes in the world economy. Today new economic centers are developing in the world. It is also having a huge financial impact on the world.
We are not against Western countries: Lavrov also made it clear that the purpose of BRICS is not to fight with anyone. Western countries are not included in this, it does not mean that we are against them. BRICS aims to take advantage of their geography, shared history and proximity to each other.
India’s important role in BRICS: Vikram Misri
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India plays an important role in BRICS. Especially in areas like economic growth, sustainable development and global governance reform. He told, PM Modi is going to Kazan to attend the 16th BRICS summit on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the sidelines of the conference, PM Modi is expected to hold some bilateral meetings. Work on these is still going on. The theme of this edition of BRICS is Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security. This is the first summit being held since the first expansion of BRICS in Johannesburg last year, Misri said.
- The summit will begin on October 22. The main day of the summit is on 23 October and has two main sessions, a closed plenary session in the morning followed by an open plenary session in the afternoon dedicated to the main theme of the summit. The leaders are also expected to adopt the Kazan Declaration which will pave the way forward for BRICS, he said. This document is currently being negotiated in Kazan. The summit will end on October 24. However, the PM will return on October 23.
China maintains silence on Modi-Xi meeting
China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday remained silent on questions raised over a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia this week. Spokesperson Lin Jian, while answering a question regarding this during the press conference, said, if anything comes to light, we will inform you. Let us tell you, Modi and Xi are participating in the BRICS summit starting from Tuesday in Kazan, Russia.
- Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kazan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in New Delhi on Monday that Indian and Chinese negotiators have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. There was no reaction in Beijing to the Egyptian-announced agreement. There was a decline in India-China relations after the fierce clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020.
- China announced last Friday that President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit in Russia, where he will work with other parties to usher in a new era for the global South by building strength through unity.