BRICS should shape international agenda: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the five BRICS nations are an influential voice in international discourse and it is their shared responsibility to shape the international agenda.

In his address at the BRICS Leaders meeting, Modi said "We, as BRICS, are an influential voice in international discourse.It is, therefore, our shared responsibility to shape the international agenda."

He said it was the shared responsibility of BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - to shape the international agenda in a Amanner that helps developing nations achieve their objectives.

"As chair of BRICS, Building Responsive,Inclusive and Collective Solutions is theme we've chosen which mirrors the central priorities at the G20 Summit," according to tweets posted by Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swaup.

India is the chair this year of the grouping. The summit is to be held in Goa, India, in October.

"We've taken BRICS out of capitals to involve people from all walks of life. It'll be an opportunity to deepen our ties and with BIMSTEC countries," he added.

The meeting ended with Modi inviting the leaders to the Summit.

The meeting with the BRICS leaders was his second engagement of the day on Sunday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit that will begin later in the day.

Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first engagement at 9.30 a.m.

BRICS comprise five major emerging economies, comprising 43 per cent of the world population, having 37 per cent of the world GDP and 17 per cent share in the world trade.

India has invited the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries to Goa for the summit.

These comprise, besides India - Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

--IANS

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