PM Modi to depart for Johannesburg for BRICS Summit tomorrow, likely to meet China's Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leaving for Johannesburg tomorrow morning to participate in the 15th BRICS Summit and may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines as PM's schedule in terms of bilateral meetings in South Africa is still being worked out, Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.The BRICS Summit starts from tomorrow and will conclude on 24 August.Addressing a press conference on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, "The theme of the BRICS Summit this year is 'BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism'. This would be the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings owing to the COVID-19 pandemic...."When asked about the chances of a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, Kwatra said, "...The host country South Africa has invited large number of guest countries, besides BRICS members. PM's schedule, in terms of bilateral meetings with those leaders who would be present in South Africa is still being developed..."He said a business delegation from India will also be travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance and the BRICS Business Forum."After completing his engagements in Johannesburg, PM will travel to Greece for an official visit on 25 August at the invitation of PM of Greece...," Kwatra informed."Greece is one of India's important European partners. Both India and Greece are not just modern democracies but we also share close and age-old historical and cultural relations," said Kwatra.As far as BRICS expansion is concerned, he said that India has been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind on the issue."...In so far as BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion...Those are the subject matters of ongoing current discussion between the Sherpas of the BRICS in South Africa and I would not want to prejudge the outcome of the discussions...," he added.With inputs from agencies