MEA: Modi to hold meetings with leaders from BRICS during his upcoming visit

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have substantial meeting with senior BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil next week.

"It is normal for us to have bilateral engagements with BRICS leaders, given that this is a multilateral meeting such bilateral arrangements are on the margins of the multilateral meeting. The primary focus is on multilateral event. There will be substantial meeting with senior BRICS leaders with the prime minister," Akbaruddin said.

He also informed about the composition of the prime minister's delegation.

"Prime Minister will be accompanied to Brazil by MoS Commerce and Industry and the National Security Advisor and there will be several secretaries to the government of India (GoI) who are responsible for specific areas relating to the BRICS," he added.

Modi will be attending the two-day summit in Fortaleza and Brasilia on July 15-16, which will also be attended by Russian President Vladmir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jingping, South African President Jacob Zuma and host Brazil's President Dilma Rouseff. Also, leaders of 11 Latin American countries,including Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Surinam have been invited to the summit.