According to sources, India confirmed participating in a virtual summit of the Brazilian-Russian-Indian-Chinese-South African grouping to be held towards the end of June, weeks after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Delhi.
The tentative date for the meeting will be June 23-24 which was suggested by the summit, however, the final decision on the date is yet to be finalised. Last year the meet was held virtually which was hosted by India.
Prime Minister Modi will share the platform with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine war began. Leaders of Brazil and South Africa will also attend the summit along with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In April 2020, tensions broke out at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the PLA’s transgressions. This is the first summit hosted by China since the conflict.
The BRICS summit is being prepared with further preparatory meetings. A meeting of BRICS ministers of health, including Mandaviya, was held on April 12 to launch a “BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre” to conduct “vaccine joint research, plant co-construction, authorised local production, and mutual recognition of standards”, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Counter-terrorism officials will also meet on Tuesday to discuss “targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism and terrorism financing” during a plenary session.
