MEA to host BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue in Patna

As the chair of BRICS for 2016, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will be hosting the BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue in Bihar's Patna city on July 26.

The discussions shall take forward the policy planning talks initiated under the chairmanship of Russia in 2015 in line with this year's theme of Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.

This shall be the first time that the MEA would host an official foreign policy related engagement in Patna.

The BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue will provide an opportunity for exchanges on strategic assessments of international situation and the regional situation of each country and trends therein, going beyond immediate issues of quotidian diplomacy.

The role of BRICS in international governance, ongoing cooperation at BRICS Forum and identifying areas of convergence among BRICS would be a subject for reflection.

This dialogue will also seek to enhance sharing of best practices in foreign policy planning and assessment between the BRICS countries.

The respective Foreign Office delegations shall be led by Michel Arslanian Neto (Deputy Head of Policy Planning of Brazil), Oleg Stepanov (Head of Policy Planning of Russia), Santosh Jha (Joint Secretary Policy Planning of India), Wang Wenbin (Acting DG Policy Planning of China) and David Malcolmson (Chief Director Regional Organisations of South Africa).