BRICS summit will put Goa on higher pedestal: Wang Yi

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday arrived in Goa to discuss about preparations for the BRICS summit scheduled for October, and said the event will put the coastal state on a higher pedestal.

Yi, after landing in Goa, met Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar at the state secretariat where both the leaders discussed about preparations for the forthcoming summit.

The meeting lasted for over an hour.

"I have come here because BRICS summit is being held in Goa. I have seen friendly sentiments from the people of Goa," Yi told reporters in the presence of Parsekar.

"Goa has a beautiful landscape, beaches and people. Goa is one of the best in the world. I am sure BRICS summit will put Goa at a higher pedestal," he said.

He said, "India and China are good friends and good partners."

The Goa Chief Minister said he had a discussion with Yi over breakfast.

He said Goa and China have long standing relations, with iron ore from the coastal state being exported to the neighbouring country.

"We can also tie up with China in the field of education and technology. We can attract investment from China in the Information Technology," Parsekar said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bestowed faith on Goa by offering us to host BRICS summit," the CM said.

During his day-long tour, Yi is expected to meet state Governor Mridula Sinha and visit Aguada plateau, about 10 km from Panaji.

Meanwhile, Consul General of Brazil in Mumbai, Rosimar da Silva Suzano said unless BRICS becomes a powerful factor to promote the national interest of all the five countries, its future is at risk.

"BRICS gave potential importance to the identification and development of specific bilateral and joint progress in strategic sectors such as agriculture, energy and renewable and science and technology among others," Suzano said.

"But now, BRICS also needs to be focused on the challenges arriving from the competing national interest of the five countries. Unless BRICS is seen as a powerful factor to promote that national interest, its future is at risk," she said here at a seminar on 'BRICS-upon-BRICS for a stronger BRICS - Challenges and Opportunities'.

She said Brazil looks at BRICS to constructively cooperate and engage with Third World countries as well as international and regional organisations to handle issues of the global agenda.

Being an ardent supporter of multilateralism, Brazil believes in the partnerships in different groupings.

"Our vision is that BRICS shall be open to constructively cooperate and engage with third world countries as well as international and regional organisations to handle issues of the global agenda," Suzano said.

The consul general said BRICS should have a collective response towards inter-state wars, climate change and natural disaster.

She admitted that BRICS has helped Brazil improve its bilateral trade to a great extent.

"At a time when the bilateral trade was mere 500 million dollars in 2005, it reached 11.5 billion dollars in 2014, despite the country's economy being in doldrums," she added.