Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attended a BRICS leaders’ summit. File

Turkey was offered partner country status by the BRICS group of nations, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said, as Ankara continues what it calls its efforts to balance its Eastern and Western ties.

Turkey, a NATO member, has in recent months voiced interest in joining the BRICS group of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attended a BRICS leaders’ summit hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan last month, after Ankara said it had taken formal steps to become a member of the group.

“As for Turkey’s status regarding (BRICS) membership, they offered Turkey the status of partner membership,” Bolat said in an interview with private broadcaster TVNet on Wednesday (November 13, 2024).

“This [status] is the transition process in the organisational structure of BRICS,” he said.

Ankara sees the BRICS group as an opportunity to further economic cooperation with member states, rather than an alternative to its Western ties and N.A.T.O. membership, Mr. Erdogan has said.

Turkish officials have repeatedly said potential membership of BRICS would not affect Turkey’s responsibilities to the Western military alliance.

Aside from full membership, BRICS members introduced a “partner country” category in Kazan, according to the declaration issued by BRICS on Oct. 23.

Mr. Bolat did not say whether Ankara had accepted the proposal.

An official in Erdogan’s ruling AK Party told Reuters this month that while the proposal had been discussed in Kazan, partner country status would fall short of Turkey’s demands for membership.

Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov addresses the media on the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Russia, in New Delhi on October 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The BRICS summit in Kazan has been a “total success”, said the Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Monday (October 28, 2024).

In an interaction with the media, the Russian envoy said the BRICS grouping represents “current realities” and pointed out that Indian banks are “over cautious” while dealing with Russian entities because of the threat of “secondary sanctions” from Western governments. He hit out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for criticising BRICS and described him as “delusional”.

“BRICS is not an exclusive but an inclusive platform. It is not anti-West or non-West formation. BRICS has become an indispensable framework for the emerging centres of power and keeps attracting more and more countries as a result of global turbulence and uncertainties,” said Ambassador Alipov informing that “more than forty countries have expressed interest in joining” BRICS.

Ambassador Alipov supported the prospects of BRICS and criticised Mr. Zelenskyy. Last week, President Zelenksyy had rejected UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ visit to Kyiv as he had participated in the BRICS meeting in Kazan.

After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Guterres had said, “We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.” Mr. Zelenksy had described the Kazan summit as a “complete failure”.

During the briefing, Ambassador Alipov said, “The Ukrainian President has become completely delusional. He has very delusional views on many other accounts. But this is one of the topics on which he is absolutely wrong.”

Mr. Alipov’s briefing on the BRICS summit came days after the Kazan Declaration of the 16th BRICS summit gave out a detailed financial vision and held Israel responsible for the ongoing violence in Gaza Strip and Lebanon. He said the creation of a new category of partner-countries of BRICS is one of the major outcomes of the Kazan summit. “This step will definitely multiply the value of our diversified partnership and add to the forum’s global influence, which is now making a decisive contribution to the global food and energy security,” stated the Russian Ambassador explaining the impact of the new category of partner countries.

Ambassador Alipov presented the financial and commodities-related plans of the BRICS, and said the orgainsation plans to implement the Russian initiatives to create a grain trading platform within BRICS which will be known as the BRICS Grain Exchange. He mentioned the creation of an investment platform through strengthening the New Development Bank and study the feasibility of an electronic platform to settle cross-border trade in securities.

The envoy said that Indian banks are “over cautious” in dealing with Russia “over fears of western secondary sanctions” and said the sanctions could impact “Indian financial system’s engagement with Russia” and added, “We are hopeful, understanding among the Indian banking community will grow.”

“As like-minded countries, we will keep closely coordinating on various international issues on the UN, G20 and WTO agenda to create better conditions or the Global South to get an equal access to technological, financial and natural resources,” said Ambassador Alipov.

He touched upon the discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping and said Russia was not involved in facilitating the meeting and stated, “We had border issues with the Chinese. We managed to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. No doubt India, China will be successful in (resolving) the border problems. It would require determination, open heart approach.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends Outreach/BRICS Plus format session at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday (October 24, 2024) told leaders of BRICS emerging economies the world was facing “serious challenges” and urged the group to be a “stabilising force”.

Mr. Xi was speaking on the final day of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, a forum Moscow hopes will help forge a united front of nations against the West.

Addressing assembled leaders, Mr. Xi said the “common march of the global South towards modernity is a major event in world history”.

“We must be a stabilising force for peace, strengthen global security governance and explore solutions to hotspot issues that address both the symptoms and the root causes,” Mr. Xi said.

“The world still faces serious challenges to its peaceful development,” he warned.

He also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the prevention of further conflict in Lebanon.

“We need to continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, relaunch the two-state solution and stop the spread of war in Lebanon,” Mr. Xi said.

“There should be no more suffering and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon,” he said.

Kazan:

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a BRICS summit on Thursday that the Middle East was on the verge of full-scale war.

“The military action that started a year ago in Gaza has now spread to Lebanon. Other countries in the region are also affected,” Putin told a meeting in Kazan attended by several world leaders.

“The level of confrontation between Israel and Iran has sharply risen. This is all reminiscent of a chain reaction and puts the whole Middle East on the verge of full-scale war,” Putin said.

Violence in the Middle East will not end until the creation of an independent Palestinian state, Putin said at the summit, attended by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

“The key demand for restoring peace and stability on Palestinian territories is carrying out the two-state formula approved by the UN Security Council and General Assembly,” the Russian president said.

He added that this would be “correcting the historical injustice towards the Palestinian people”.

“Until this question is resolved, it will not be possible to break the vicious circle of violence.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

BRICS Summit narrow format session in Kazan, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

West African social media is abuzz with posts promoting a “brighter future” in partnership with non-Western powers, especially those belonging to the BRICS emerging economies meeting this week in Russia.

Talk of a “new world order” or “multipolar world” is regular fare on dozens of Facebook pages analysed by AFP across Sahel countries in west Africa – most spreading pro-Russian and some pro-Chinese content.

The original BRICS bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – last year admitted Iran, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia to the group.

One 16,000-strong Facebook group created in March 2023 is dubbed “BRICS+Africa for a multipola world”, proclaiming in its description: “The multipolar world is coming together with Africa, the continent of the future”.

Posts show Russian President Vladimir Putin welcoming UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, or hail the reported deployment of North Korean soldiers to back Russia in Ukraine.

Most pages are run by people in Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali.

Global majority

The chatter echoes Moscow’s “overarching story opposing the ‘global majority’ to the ‘Western minority’,” said Maxime Audinet, a researcher at the French Defence Ministry’s IRSEM think-tank.

“Criticising forms of dependency imposed by the ‘West’ and promoting a ‘new world order’ through organisations like BRICS and the G20 – of which Russia wants to be the spokesman – is part of a genuine strategy to woo the global South,” Mr. Audinet told AFP.

The plan was laid out in a weighty report last year by Russian political theorist Sergey Karaganov, reshaping Moscow’s foreign policy and emphasising Africa as a space to compete fiercely with Western powers.

Several Sahel countries are now run by military juntas that have sought closer ties with Moscow.

“Criticism of the French presence (in the Sahel) has been very useful for years, but now France is gone the narrative is shifting,” Mr. Audinet said.

Influence operations run by the Wagner group, which has sought to sway west African opinion since 2018, have been taken over since the death of the mercenary outfit’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

They are now part of a press agency called “African Initiative”, which several experts said is run by a former member of Russian intelligence.

More open support for Russia comes from figures such as Ivorian former minister Ahoua Don Mello, vice-president of the “International Alliance for Strategic Projects BRICS”.

He promotes a pan-Africanism freed from colonial domination and a new shared currency to replace the existing CFA franc which has ties to Paris.

Sharing talking points

Chinese Facebook is riddled with posts highlighting Beijing’s tens of billions of dollars in investments in Africa. French-language offerings from Chinese state media such as Xinhua and RCI have targeted mostly African audiences for the past decade.

They willingly “shore up Russian propaganda”, “sharing talking points” with outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik, said Selma Mihoubi of Paris’ Sorbonne University.

Some content is simply copy-pasted between Chinese and Russian media under content-sharing agreements between the two nations.

“Moscow and Beijing don’t align on everything, and even compete with each other in Africa, but there is a real will to speak with one voice on questions like the ‘new world order’,” Mihoubi said.

Some of the west African juntas also use the content to burnish their image.

In Burkina Faso “multiple disinformation campaigns are run locally, without being kicked off by the Russians”, said an expert on disinformation in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Dozens of accounts in July launched a coordinated campaign spreading false reports that Burkina’s military leader Ibrahim Traore had joined the BRICS.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi after his two-day visit to Russia, during which he participated in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.

He also met several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

He described the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan as “very productive”. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia and their government for their hospitality.

PM Modi took to X to share glimpses of his visit to Russia. During his visit to Russia, PM Modi addressed two sessions of the BRICS Summit held in Kazan under Russia’s chairmanship.

While sharing the video on X, PM Modi stated, “The BRICS Summit in Kazan was very productive. Had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues and meet various world leaders. I thank President Putin, the Russian people and Government for their hospitality. Here are the highlights.”

The BRICS Summit in Kazan was very productive. Had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues and meet various world leaders. I thank President Putin, the Russian people and Government for their hospitality. Here are the highlights. pic.twitter.com/1guOhvA2Q7

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2024

In the video shared by PM Modi on X, he could be seen participating in the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The video showed PM Modi meeting several world leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

On Wednesday, PM Modi also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Kazan. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “Happy to have interacted with President Abdelfattah Elsisi in Ka

He also held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Kazan and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

“Had a wonderful meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Kazan. Discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation between India and Uzbekistan including trade and cultural linkages,” PM Modi posted on X.

PM Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

The meeting marks the first formal structured interaction between the two leaders in five years. The meeting comes after the two countries reached an agreement on resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines, PM Modi stated, “India-China relations are important for the people of our countries and for regional and global peace and stability.”
PM Modi expressed his delight at meeting UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

Sharing details about his meeting with the UAE President, he wrote, “Glad to have met my brother, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.”

In his address at the BRICS Summit, PM Modi noted that the Summit is happening at a time when the world is undergoing several uncertainties and challenges including conflicts, adverse climatic impacts, and cyber threats, placing greater expectations upon BRICS. He suggested that the group take a people-centric approach to tackle these challenges.

PM Modi also underlined the need for early adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations to combat the menace of terrorism.

He called upon BRICS to proactively push for global governance reforms. Recalling the Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India during its G20 Presidency, he stressed that the group must give primacy to the concerns of the Global South.

PM Modi noted that the regional presence of the New Development Bank including in GIFT city, India, has created new values and impacts.

Highlighting BRICS’ activities to foster economic growth, he emphasized that its efforts on trade facilitation in agriculture, resilient supply chains, e-commerce and Special Economic Zones have generated new opportunities.

He underlined the need to prioritise small and medium scale industries. He expressed that the BRICS Startup Forum, initiated by India which is to be launched this year, would add significant value to the BRICS economic agenda.

The Prime Minister elaborated on the recent green initiatives undertaken by India including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LIFE and Green Credit initiative announced during COP28. He invited BRICS countries to join these initiatives.

On Tuesday, PM Modi held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. PM Modi invited Putin to visit India next year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including political, economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people ties, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.

In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “Had an excellent meeting with President Putin. The bond between India and Russia is deep-rooted. Our talks focussed on how to add even more vigour to our bilateral partnership across diverse sectors.”

This was their second meeting this year as the two leaders had earlier met in Moscow for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in July 2024.

PM Modi also held a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties in futuristic sectors.

“Had a very good meeting with the President of Iran, Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian. We reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. We also discussed ways to deepen ties in futuristic sectors,” PM Modi posted on X.

This visit marked PM Modi’s second visit to Russia this year as he visited Moscow in July for the annual India-Russia Summit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi after his two-day visit to Russia, during which he participated in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.

He also met several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

He described the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan as “very productive”. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia and their government for their hospitality.

PM Modi took to X to share glimpses of his visit to Russia. During his visit to Russia, PM Modi addressed two sessions of the BRICS Summit held in Kazan under Russia’s chairmanship.

While sharing the video on X, PM Modi stated, “The BRICS Summit in Kazan was very productive. Had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues and meet various world leaders. I thank President Putin, the Russian people and Government for their hospitality. Here are the highlights.”

The BRICS Summit in Kazan was very productive. Had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues and meet various world leaders. I thank President Putin, the Russian people and Government for their hospitality. Here are the highlights. pic.twitter.com/1guOhvA2Q7

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2024

In the video shared by PM Modi on X, he could be seen participating in the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The video showed PM Modi meeting several world leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

On Wednesday, PM Modi also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Kazan. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “Happy to have interacted with President Abdelfattah Elsisi in Ka

He also held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Kazan and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

“Had a wonderful meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Kazan. Discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation between India and Uzbekistan including trade and cultural linkages,” PM Modi posted on X.

PM Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

The meeting marks the first formal structured interaction between the two leaders in five years. The meeting comes after the two countries reached an agreement on resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines, PM Modi stated, “India-China relations are important for the people of our countries and for regional and global peace and stability.”
PM Modi expressed his delight at meeting UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

Sharing details about his meeting with the UAE President, he wrote, “Glad to have met my brother, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.”

In his address at the BRICS Summit, PM Modi noted that the Summit is happening at a time when the world is undergoing several uncertainties and challenges including conflicts, adverse climatic impacts, and cyber threats, placing greater expectations upon BRICS. He suggested that the group take a people-centric approach to tackle these challenges.

PM Modi also underlined the need for early adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations to combat the menace of terrorism.

He called upon BRICS to proactively push for global governance reforms. Recalling the Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India during its G20 Presidency, he stressed that the group must give primacy to the concerns of the Global South.

PM Modi noted that the regional presence of the New Development Bank including in GIFT city, India, has created new values and impacts.

Highlighting BRICS’ activities to foster economic growth, he emphasized that its efforts on trade facilitation in agriculture, resilient supply chains, e-commerce and Special Economic Zones have generated new opportunities.

He underlined the need to prioritise small and medium scale industries. He expressed that the BRICS Startup Forum, initiated by India which is to be launched this year, would add significant value to the BRICS economic agenda.

The Prime Minister elaborated on the recent green initiatives undertaken by India including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LIFE and Green Credit initiative announced during COP28. He invited BRICS countries to join these initiatives.

On Tuesday, PM Modi held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. PM Modi invited Putin to visit India next year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including political, economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people ties, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.

In a post on X, PM Modi stated, “Had an excellent meeting with President Putin. The bond between India and Russia is deep-rooted. Our talks focussed on how to add even more vigour to our bilateral partnership across diverse sectors.”

This was their second meeting this year as the two leaders had earlier met in Moscow for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in July 2024.

PM Modi also held a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties in futuristic sectors.

“Had a very good meeting with the President of Iran, Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian. We reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. We also discussed ways to deepen ties in futuristic sectors,” PM Modi posted on X.

This visit marked PM Modi’s second visit to Russia this year as he visited Moscow in July for the annual India-Russia Summit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kazan, Russia:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for unified action against terrorism at the 16th BRICS Summit. He stressed that combating terrorism requires “single-minded” focus and “firm-support” of all nations. He asserted that “double-standards” have no place in addressing this global challenge.

He also highlighted how important it is to stop radicalisation of young people and urged action to counter terrorism and terror financing. These remarks come after China had blocked several proposals at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terrorists.

“We must work together on the long-pending matter in the UN of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism,” PM Modi said. He also added that work needs to be done on global regulations for cyber security and for safe AI.

Furthermore, he spoke about the expansion of the BRICS forum. “India is ready to welcome new countries into BRICS as partner countries,” he said.

He also emphasised that decisions should be taken by consensus and the views of BRICS founding members should be respected.

He advocated the compliance of guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures adopted during last year’s Johannesburg summit, by all members and countries and said that BRICS is an organisation willing to evolve with time.

He concluded by saying that BRICS should be an exemplary organisation for the world, and that they should raise their voice for reforms in global organisations in a collective and united manner but also ensuring that they avoid any perceptions that they are “trying to replace global institutions, instead of being perceived as one that wishes to reform them”.
 

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s Xi Jinping have welcomed the patrolling agreement announced this week that calls for “complete (military) disengagement” along the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas, as well as “resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas”.

The phrase “complete disengagement” indicates the two militaries will withdraw to pre-May 2020 positions, i.e., before skirmishes, including violent clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, triggered by the May 5 face-off in the Pangong Lake region.

The withdrawal to pre-May 2020 positions was also flagged by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who told the NDTV the patrolling agreement “creates a basis for peace and tranquillity along the border, which (was) there before 2020”. He said the agreement was due to “patient and persevering diplomacy”.

READ | “Back To 2020…”: S Jaishankar To NDTV On India, China Pact

Meanwhile, in another significant step forward, Special Representatives of both sides – India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi – could meet soon “to explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question”.

Mr Doval and Mr Yi have not met – as Special Representatives – since 2019.

These points were announced in a statement after PM Modi and President Jinping held a first bilateral meet since the May 2020 clashes; they met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan.

In the meeting the Prime Minister emphasised to his Chinese counterpart “the importance of properly handling differences and disputes” and not allowing these to disturb relations.

READ | “Peace On Border Should Be Priority,” PM Tells Xi Jinping In Russia

The two leaders also recognised that “stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations… between the two largest nations on Earth… will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity” and also contribute to a multi-polar Asian and global community.

India and China, therefore, underlined the need to progress bilateral relations, enhance strategic communication, and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges.

In statements before the bilateral, Mr Modi told the Chinese leader, “It should be our priority to ensure there is peace and stability along our border”, and stressed the need for “mutual trust, mutual respect”.

Mr Jinping pointed to India and China’s ancient historical connections and present-day statuses as major developing countries and members of the Global South, and said, “It best serves the fundamental interest of our countries and peoples to keep to the trend of history…”

Today’s meet between PM Modi and President Jinping took place less than 72 hours after the patrolling agreement – which followed sustained dialogue at military and diplomatic levels -was announced.

READ | India To Resume Patrolling In Ladakh After Big Breakthrough With China

The agreement was seen as a big step to de-escalation in a region in which both sides have amassed tens of thousands of troops and armaments over the past four years.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said “India supports dialogue and diplomacy… and not war” as he spoke at a closed-door plenary session of the BRICS Summit in Russia.

Mr Modi – who on Tuesday told Russia’s Vladimir Putin, whose country is at war with Ukraine, that “all conflict can be solved with dialogue” – today told the bloc there are multiple challenges facing BRICS members and the world at large, and called for action on those fronts instead.

“Preventing inflation… ensuring food, energy, health, and water security… these are matters of priority for all countries in the world. And, in this era of technology, new challenges have emerged, like misinformation (spread online) and cyber frauds like deepfakes…”

“At such a time, there are high expectations of the BRICS grouping and I believe that we, as a diverse and inclusive platform, can play a positive role in all these areas,” the PM said.

“In this regard, our approach must remain people centric. We have to tell the world BRICS is not divisive and that we support dialogue and diplomacy, and not war …” Mr Modi said.

As an example, the Prime Minister pointed to the pandemic and how BRICS nations worked together, and said, “Just as we were able to overcome a challenge like Covid together, we can create new opportunities to ensure a secure, strong, and prosperous future…”

The global war on terrorism – a particular focus of the Modi government – was also flagged.

“In order to counter terrorism and terror-financing, we need the single-minded and firm support of all… there is no place for double standards on this serious matter,” Mr Modi asserted.

“We need to take active steps to stop radicalisation of youth in our countries.”

On the introduction of new member-nations – Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates – Mr Modi said, “India is ready to welcome new nations as ‘partner countries’.”

“In this regard all decisions should be taken by consensus,” he said, adding, however, that “the views of BRICS founding members should be respected.”

Prime Minister Modi also expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for hosting the BRICS Summit in Kazan and for his leadership of the bloc over the past 12 months.