Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for South Africa to participate in the much-awaited BRICS Summit shortly today. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Prime Minister will leave Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi at 7 am IST and is likely to land at Johannesburg around 5.15 pm IST.
“I am visiting the Republic of South Africa from 22-24 August 2023 at the invitation Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit being held in Johannesburg under the South African Chairmanship,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement released ahead of his visit.
It noted that the bloc has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors and added New Delhi underscores it has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system.
“This Summit will provide a useful opportunity for BRICS to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development,” it added.
No mention of bilateral meeting with Chinese President
During his visit, the Indian Prime Minister will also participate in the BRICS–Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue event that will be held as part of the BRICS Summit activities. “I look forward to interacting with a number of guest countries that have been invited to participate in this event,” said the statement. However, it did not mention whether PM Modi will hold any bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This is a developing story. More details will be added.