BRICS: PM Modi says Mutual Cooperation Will Help Global Post-COVID Recovery

While BRICS is usually about economic cooperation, the war in Ukraine is likely to be the elephant in the room.

Image from virtual BRICS meeting.

(Photo: Twitter/@sidhant)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual BRICS Summit on Thursday, 23 June, stated that mutual cooperation between Indian and the other four members can make a "useful contribution to the post-COVID recovery of the whole world."

The summit was being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and will be held on 23-24 June.

The Indian prime minister, after thanking his counterparts for their countries' enthusiastic participation on Yoga International Day, asserted that "BRICS has undergone structural changes in the last few years that has made it more influential."

Claiming that the cooperation of BRICS nations in youth summits, sports, civil society organizations, and think-tanks has benefited the citizens of those member nations, Modi also expressed happiness that the membership of the BRICS New Development Bank has increased.

Other than the BRICS nations, members of the NDB include Bangladesh, Egypt, UAE, and Uruguay.

PM Modi concluded by saying that he is "confident that the deliberations at the BRICS summit will lead to a further strengthening of ties."

While BRICS conferences are usually about economic cooperation, the war in Ukraine is likely to be the elephant in the room.

"A lot of people will be keeping an eye on the summit, especially on the dynamics between Russia and China over Ukraine," Pratyush Rao, director for South Asia at the Control Risks consultancy was quoted as saying by the BBC.