As PM Modi kicks off 5-nation tour to Ghana, Argentina, Brazil and others, BRICS and trade on agenda

The Prime Minister begins his visit in Ghana at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama from July 2 to 3. “Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States,” he said.

“I look forward to my exchanges aimed at further deepening our historical ties and opening up new windows of cooperation, including in the areas of investment, energy, health, security, capacity building and development partnership. As fellow democracies, it will be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana,” he said.

PM Modi, who will then head to Trinidad and Tobago, and will be in the Caribbean nation on July 3 and 4, said it is “a country with which we share deep-rooted historical, cultural and people-to-people connect”.

He will meet President Christine Carla Kangaloo, who was the chief guest at this year’s Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who recently assumed office for the second term. “Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago 180 years ago. This visit will provide an opportunity to rejuvenate the special bonds of ancestry and kinship that unite us.”

From Port of Spain, PM Modi will travel to Buenos Aires in the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Argentina in 57 years. “Argentina is a key economic partner in Latin America and a close collaborator in the G20. I look forward to my discussions with President Javier Milei, whom I also had the pleasure of meeting last year. We will focus on advancing our mutually beneficial cooperation, including in the areas of agriculture, critical minerals, energy, trade, tourism, technology, and investment.”

He will then attend the BRICS summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro from July 6-7. “As a founding member, India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies. Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order.”

On the sidelines of the Summit, he said he will also meet several world leaders. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are not attending the summit.

“I will travel to Brasilia for a bilateral State Visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades. This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen our close partnership with Brazil, and work with my friend, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on advancing the priorities of the Global South,” he said.

On the way back, he will stop over in Namibia, “a trusted partner with whom we share a common history of struggle against colonialism”. “I look forward to meeting President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and chart a new roadmap for cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, our regions and the wider Global South. It will be a privilege to also address the Joint Session of Namibian Parliament as we celebrate our enduring solidarity and shared commitment for freedom and development.”