PM Modi speaks at the BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Outreach.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, whose theme this year is 'BRICS in Africa'. The two leaders are believed to have exchanged views on the international landscape, BRICS cooperation and other issues of mutual interest. PM Modi also met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the third time in nearly four months.
Leaders of the BRICS emerging economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- gathered in Johannesburg for a three-day meeting focused on the threat of a US-led global trade war. US President Donald Trump's hardening stance has compounded fears of an all-out trade war after he slapped levies on goods from China worth tens of billions of dollars and imposed tariffs on other international imports.
The prime minister is on a 3-nation tour to Africa and has held delegation level talks in Uganda as well as Rwanda. PM Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Rwanda, where he gifted 200 cows for an economic development project of the East African nation. He also announced that India will soon open its mission in Rwanda. His visit to Uganda was the first bilateral tour by an Indian prime minister since 1997.
He reached South Africa from Uganda's capital Kampala on Wednesday where he was welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on his arrival.
Here are the Highlights of the BRICS Summit in South Africa:
At his last engagement in Johannesburg, PM Modi congratulates Turkish President Erdogan on his re-election
PM Modi made the following points during his speech:
The Digital Revolution is bringing new opportunities for us. It is essential to look at AI and big data analytics closely
I welcome various efforts for closer economic integration among the African nations
The coming together of so many African leaders during this programme is a wonderful thing.
India's ties with Africa are time-tested. The Government of India has deepened engagement with Africa
PM Modi with other world leaders at the BRICS Outreach meeting in Johannesburg.
PM Modi at the BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Outreach : My government has given top priority to expand our historical efforts for independence, development and peace in Africa.
At the Special Retreat Session, PM Modi stressed on innovative ideas and and effective steps that will help strengthen BRICS co-operation.
PM Modi arrives at Sandton International Convention Centre to participate in the BRICS-Africa outreach and the BRICS plus outreach. The 10th BRICS Summit, themed "BRICS In Africa" aims to foster inclusive growth, shared prosperity and the fourth industrial revolution.
On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, PM Modi held talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and discussed ways to further strengthen India-South Africa ties. They also jointly released a stamp commemorating the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Today PM Modi's schedule for BRICS Summit will start with the BRICS special retreat. It will follow the BRICS Outreach Dialogue session. He will have a bilateral meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and will leave from South Africa at 4pm (South Africa time).
"Wide-ranging and productive talks with President Putin. India's friendship with Russia is deep-rooted and our countries will continue working together in multiple sectors," says PM Modi on meeting with Vladimir Putin
PM Modi Holds Talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin In Johannesburg
PM Modi Meets President Of Argentina Mauricio Macri On The Sidelines Of BRICS"Had a great discussion with President @mauriciomacri. We reviewed the full range of relations between India and Argentina. Our nations will continue working together in various sectors, for the benefit of our citizens" PM says in a tweet.
PM Modi On Meeting With President Joao Lourenco Of Angola"Angola is a valued friend from Africa. My interaction with President Joao Lourenco was comprehensive. We discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly trade as well as people-to-people ties"
PM Modi meets with President of Angola, Joao Lourenco in South Africa's Johannesburg.
An important issue which PM Modi has raised with President Xi Jinping at his previous meetings is how to enhance Indian exports to China, particularly agricultural exports. It has been decided that an Indian trade delegation will be travelling to China on August 1 and 2: V Gokhale, Foreign Secretary as quoted by ANI
The two leaders held a two-day informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late April and then they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, China in June.
"Furthering India-China friendship. PM @narendramodi and President Xi Jinping hold talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
The two leaders are believed to have exchanged views on the international landscape, BRICS cooperation and other issues of mutual interest.
Bilateral Talks between PM Modi and Xi Jinping have begun.
Following delegation-level talks between PM Modi and South African president, 3 MoUs were signed on cooperation in Exploration & Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes, setting up of Gandhi Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills & Agricultural Research & Education.
China's President Xi Jinping and PM Modi leave handprints in clay during the Open Session meeting of the 10th BRICS summit
China's President Xi Jinping speaks during the Open Session of the 10th BRICS summit
Brazilan President Michel Temer (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attend the 10th BRICS summit PM Modi during his speech:
With new systems, there were be new paths to economic progress
Human values must be at the heart of development
Must think of consequences of the fourth industrial revolution
Talent will be more important than capital
Some points made by PM Modi in his speech:
Our BRICS Partnership will help prepare for a fourth industrial revolution
Necessary to prepare our youth for the future
Both men and women, rich and poor must have access to technical higher education
We need to manage globalization and migration by better multilateral cooperation
We will have to design the syllabus of our schools & universities in a way that it prepares the youth for future. We have to ensure that the pace of change in technology finds space in our syllabus: PM Narendra Modi at BRICS Summit in Johannesburg
Amnesty International India and South Africa, in a joint statement released at the commencement of the 10th BRICS Summit, said that all the BRICS countries face a number of human rights challenges.
Citing incidents the murder of Marielle Franco in Brazil, the Marikana tragedy in South Africa, Tibetan HRD Tashi Wangchuck have being handed an "unjust" five year prison sentence, it said the leaders of these countries must redress human rights violations.
PM Modi with fellow BRICS leaders at the group photo at Sandton International Convention Centre, at the formal beginning of the Summit. PM Modi's schedule will be as follows
1600hrs:Bilateral with Turkish President
1700 hrs: Bilateral with South African President
1830 hrs: Bilateral with Chinese President
1900 hrs: Bilateral with Argentinian President
2000 hrs: Bilateral with Angolan President.
2100 hrs.:Bilateral with Russian President
(Note--South Africa 3 hours, 30 minutes behind IST)
PM Modi received by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of the BRICS Summit 2018 at the Sandton International Convention Centre.
PM Modi arrived yesterday to a warm welcome in South Africa:
A brief history of thr BRICS summit is as follows:BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world's leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The BRICS Leaders' Summit is convened annually with discussions representing spheres of political and socio-economic coordination, in which member countries have identified several business opportunities, economic complementarities and areas of cooperation.
The Chairship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. Over and above the summit, BRICS cooperation in the past decade has expanded to include an annual programme of over 100 sectoral meetings. Cooperation among members is predicated on three levels or "tracks" of interaction, namely:
Track I: Formal diplomatic engagement between the national governments
Track II: Engagement through government-affiliated institutions, e.g. state-owned enterprises and business councils
Track III: Civil society and "people-to-people" engagement.
The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation and focused on issues such as reform of the global financial architecture. South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. Former South African President Jacob Zuma subsequently attended the Third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in March 2011.
The BRICS approach is informed by the need to deepen, broaden and intensify relations within the grouping and among the individual countries for more sustainable, equitable and mutually beneficial development. This approach takes into consideration each member's growth, development and poverty objectives to ensure relations are built on the respective country's economic strengths and to avoid competition where possible.
The bloc offers a unique opportunity for BRICS countries to extend and advance their cooperation in ways that meaningfully promote their economic development agendas as well as that of other developing countries.
South Africa assumed the rotational Chairship of BRICS from 1 January to 31 December 2018. The 2018 Summit will be a seminal milestone for BRICS cooperation, as it represents a decade of BRICS cooperation at the highest diplomatic level.
(Source: http://www.brics2018.org.za/) PM Modi is scheduled to have bilateral talks with many world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri and Angolan President Joao Lourenco.
At the summit, the grouping's leaders are expected to deliberate on global hot-spot issues, international peace and security, global governance and trade issues among others.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the gathering, saying that "the Johannesburg summit has special significance for BRICS cooperation in the new circumstances".
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Michel Temer will also attend the annual summit, along with several African leaders invited as guests.