BRICS summit will strengthen cooperation : PM Modi

In his Facebook post, the PM said that India is delighted to host the BRICS summit “followed by a first-ever BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit.”

He also announced in the statement the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for India-Russia Annual Summit and Brazilian President Michel Temer for a bilateral meeting.

Modi said  that the meeting with Putin will rejuvenate the years-long friendship between India and Russia while the meeting with Temer will open new avenues  for cooperation with Brazil.

He also said  that as the BRICS Chair this year, India will be emphasising on promoting “people-to-people linkages in diverse fields”.

“As Chair of the BRICS this year, India has embraced a stronger emphasis on promoting people-to-people linkages in diverse fields including trade, sports, education, films, scholarship, and tourism,” the statement said.

The PM said the  new initiatives will be launched at the summit to bring about successful operationalising of other BRICS initiatives.

“It is anchored in the belief that our people are pivotal partners in our effort to craft responsive, collective and inclusive solutions. We will launch new initiatives in Goa even as we mark the successful operationalization of initiatives like the BRICS New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement."

Focusing on the importance that the BRICS nations in the world, Modi said he hoped bring together all of them for further development of the region.

“Representing nearly two thirds of humanity together, we hope to tap the potential for cooperation and the dividends this will bring. India looks forward to building bridges to new partnerships and finding common resolve and solutions to our entrenched problems,” he said.

Modi also tweeted that  the nation will look to strengthen its bilateral ties with the partners.

"Over the next few days, India will host world leaders for the 8th BRICS & 1st ever BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit," he said.

"I look forward to deliberations with leaders of China and South Africa, which will strengthen our bilateral ties with these key partners," he added.

Welcoming the Russian President, , Modi tweeted, "India is honoured to welcome President Putin for the India-Russia Annual Summit, which will also take place in Goa."

The two nations are likely to sign 18 agreements upon Putin's arrival.

This will also be the first 'The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation' (BIMSTEC)-BRICS outreach summit.

Commenting on the same, PM Modi's tweet read, "I am happy that India is facilitating an outreach Summit with BIMSTEC leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand."

"The outreach with BIMSTEC leaders is significant. We hope to tap the huge potential for cooperation and the dividends this will bring," he added.