The two-day meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers, being hosted by India, is underway in New Delhi. The meeting is being chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar.
BRICS Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegation from Member and Partner Countries are participating in the meeting. The theme for India’s BRICS Chairship this year is ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. It draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Humanity First and People-centric vision for BRICS.
In his opening remarks, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said that Peace and security remain central to the global order. He said that the recent conflicts only underline the importance of dialogue and diplomacy. He emphasised that in this complicated and uncertain world, discussions must advance sustainable development while upholding principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
He underscored that technological advancements are reshaping the global landscape and they can be leveraged for good governance and inclusive growth. Dr Jaishankar said that there is also a deeply shared interest in strengthening cooperation against terrorism.
Dr Jaishankar also thanked the participating countries for their presence and continued commitment to strengthening cooperation within the BRICS framework. He said that all the partners and member countries remain in close and regular contact through bilateral and multilateral engagements. Dr Jaishankar said today’s BRICS meeting provides a platform to exchange perspectives and develop convergences.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Utama Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, UAE Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar and South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, among others, are attending the meeting. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of BRICS Member Countries will exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest. They will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi this afternoon.
On the second day tomorrow, BRICS Member and Partner Countries will participate in a session themed “BRICS@20: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. This will be followed by a session on the “Reforms of Global Governance and Multilateral System”. The BRICS Foreign Ministers held their last meeting on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in September last year.
