BRICS Summit South Africa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a journey to Johannesburg on Tuesday to participate in the 15th BRICS Summit, taking place in South Africa from August 22 to August 24. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, during a press conference on Monday, confirmed the Prime Minister's attendance at this significant event. Notably, this summit marks the return to in-person meetings after a series of virtual gatherings spanning three years, owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Kwatra highlighted that an Indian business delegation will also accompany Prime Minister Modi to South Africa. The delegation is slated to engage in the Business Tracks meetings, alongside participating in sessions convened by the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum.

The Foreign Secretary remarked, "Tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister will commence his journey to Johannesburg, where he will be an active participant in the 15th BRICS Summit. The summit's itinerary extends from tomorrow to the 24th of August."

Underlining the central theme of this year's BRICS Summit, Kwatra revealed, "'BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development, and inclusive multilateralism' captures the essence of this gathering. This edition of the BRICS Summit is particularly significant as it marks the transition from virtual meetings to an in-person format, having navigated three years of remote interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The foreign secretary elaborated, "Accompanying the Prime Minister's participation in the 15th BRICS Summit, an Indian business delegation is undertaking the journey to South Africa. Their agenda includes involvement in the Business Tracks meetings and engagement with the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum. Once the Prime Minister concludes his commitments in Johannesburg, he will proceed to Greece for an official visit on the 25th of August, following an invitation from the Greek Prime Minister."

Providing insights into the forthcoming Greece visit, where Prime Minister Modi has been specially invited by his counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kwatra underscored the multifaceted nature of the engagement. "The visit to Greece offers both nations the opportunity to delve deeper into areas of mutual interest. This encompasses fostering stronger defense and security partnerships, diversifying trade and investment collaborations, bolstering infrastructure cooperation, and advancing the shipbuilding industry. The discussions during the visit will encompass regional and global matters of shared concern, thereby enriching and intensifying our bilateral ties," emphasized the Foreign Secretary during the MEA press briefing.

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