NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BRICS leaders on Sunday posed for the traditional family photograph at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by India. Modi stood at the centre, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping beside him, in a high-profile display of the grouping’s leadership.
Earlier, Modi welcomed visiting world leaders at Bharat Mandapam ahead of the open session titled ‘Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth’. The session is being held at the Summit Hall as part of the two-day BRICS Summit taking place on September 12 and 13 under India’s chairship and the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’.
The open session is expected to provide BRICS leaders with an opportunity to deliberate on issues of common interest and explore ways to deepen cooperation among member countries while advancing an inclusive approach to global growth. The discussions will focus on the four core pillars of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
On the second day of the summit, Modi is also scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from seven countries as India seeks to further strengthen its diplomatic engagement with key partners across Africa and Asia.
The Prime Minister is slated to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo and Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the summit.
The bilateral engagements are expected to provide an opportunity to discuss avenues for strengthening political, economic and strategic ties, alongside broader cooperation within the BRICS framework.
