PM Modi backs BRICS expansion, calls for bloc’s space exploration consortium

The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade. A total of 23 countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Argentina, have expressed interest in joining the BRICS.

Significantly, India also proposed a permanent membership of G20 to the African Union. “I am confident that our BRICS partners will support this in G20,” PM Modi added.

Even as India prepares to make a historic landing on the moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission, PM Modi called for establishing a BRICS space exploration consortium. “We are already working on the BRICS satellite constellation, but to move a step further, we should think about establishing a BRICS space exploration consortium,” he said at the leaders’s summit.

“We must make our societies future-ready to make BRICS future-ready,” Modi added.

Highlighting that the BRICS summit “has embarked on a long and an amazing journey in the last two decades”, he further said that the “New Development Bank of BRICS is playing an important role in the development of the Global South.”

“To give a new path to the BRICS agenda, India had put forth suggestions on issues such as railway research network, close cooperation between MSMEs, online BRICS database and startup firms. I am happy that a lot of progress was made on these issues,” Modi continued.

Earlier in the day, Modi held a bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and reviewed the progress made between the two countries.

The two leaders exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, discussing ways to work jointly and strengthen the voice of the Global South. “Both leaders reviewed the progress made in bilateral relations between the two countries and expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved in various fields including defence, agriculture, trade and investment, health, conservation and people-to-people ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a press release.

The plenary session focuses on intra-BRICS issues, reform of the multilateral system and counter-terrorism.

(with inputs from PTI, ANI)

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