Narendra Modi at BRICS 2024 Highlights: 'Welcome consensus reached on border issues,' PM tells Xi Jinping

The leaders of BRICS nations have reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing financial cooperation and increasing the use of local currencies to foster economic stability and promote development.

According to an official press release from the Ministry of External Affairs, this commitment was outlined in the Kazan Declaration, titled 'Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,' which was released following the BRICS Summit on Wednesday.

The leaders emphasised the significance of improving cross-border financial practices and strengthening economic relationships among member countries. They also highlighted the urgent need to reform the international financial system to ensure it is more inclusive and equitable.

Furthermore, they identified the use of local currencies in trade and financial transactions as a crucial means to reduce vulnerabilities and lessen the impact of external economic shocks on emerging and developing economies.

BRICS Summit 2024 Live: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday on the sidelines of BRICS summit held in Russia, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

China and Iran maintain a political and economic partnership, partly due to their shared perspective on the conflict in Ukraine.

Iran plays a significant role in the Middle East, supporting various influential armed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, AFP reported. This marked their second meeting in under two weeks. Western nations have accused Iran of providing weapons to Russia in support of its ongoing offensive in Ukraine.

- According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi and President Xi Jinping reviewed India-China bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term view.

- Both leaders agreed that stable ties between the two largest nations, India and China, would positively impact regional and global peace and prosperity.

- They emphasised the need for maturity and wisdom in addressing mutual sensitivities, interests, concerns, and aspirations to maintain a peaceful, stable, and mutually beneficial relationship.

- They agreed that restoring peace and tranquillity in the border areas is key to returning to normal bilateral relations.

- Officials from both sides will now take the next steps to enhance strategic communication and stabilize relations through bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including discussions at the foreign ministers' level.

- PM Modi and President Xi had a productive exchange on BRICS and the potential for India and China to enhance cooperation within this platform.

- Modi assured full support for China's presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) next year.

Narendra Modi at BRICS 2024 Live: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.

Narendra Modi at BRICS 2024 Live: Following the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, “PM Modi welcomed the recent agreement on complete disengagement and resolution of the issues that arose in the India-China border areas in 2020. He emphasized the need to handle differences and disputes responsibly, ensuring they do not disrupt peace and tranquility. Both leaders agreed that the Special Representatives on the boundary question will meet soon to manage peace and work toward a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution. Additionally, dialogue mechanisms at the Foreign Minister and official levels will be employed to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations.”

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: During the bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We are having a formal meeting after 5 years. We believe that the India-China relationship is very important not only for our people but also for global peace, stability and progress. We welcome the consensus reached on the issues that have arisen in the last 4 years on the border. Maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain our priority. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relations.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Wednesday that the ongoing BRICS summit has agreed to invite several nations to join as partner countries, urging the bloc to actively engage with the requests from Global South nations seeking membership. The BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will now expand to include five new members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

In his speech at the 16th BRICS Summit, Xi praised this decision as a significant milestone in the bloc's development, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “China and India should strengthen communication and cooperation,” AFP reported, citing China's state media.

"The two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, properly handle divergences and differences, and realize each other's development dreams, he said.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: The leaders of the two most populous countries last engaged in formal in-person discussions when Xi Jinping visited Narendra Modi in Mahabalipuram in October 2019.

However, relations deteriorated months later in 2020 following a clash along their disputed border in the high-altitude Himalayan region of Ladakh, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and several Chinese soldiers.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping began their bilateral meeting in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: During the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia, President Xi Jinping of China emphasised the need for “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine while addressing fellow leaders of the BRICS nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by AFP.

He said, “The Ukraine crisis drags on... We must adhere to the three principles of 'no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no adding oil to the fire by relevant parties', so as to ease the situation as soon as possible,” during his remarks on Wednesday.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: During the BRICS Leaders' Summit in Kazan, Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that climate change should be viewed as a 'common priority' among partner nations and showcased the initiatives India has undertaken in this regard.

Modi also discussed the growing connectivity among BRICS nations and praised the efforts to enhance financial integration within the group. He highlighted the success of India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and urged an increase in economic cooperation, advocating for the promotion of trade in local currencies.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during his address at the BRICS Summit in Russia on Wednesday, urged the "avoidance of escalation" in the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, cautioning that these conflicts could “become global”, according to AFP.

Lula said, "Avoiding escalation and encouraging peace negotiations... is crucial for the conflict between Ukraine and Russia," while speaking via videoconference from Brasilia to the summit in Kazan, Russia. He also emphasized the need for countries to "work together" to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia, called for a"single-minded" focus and “firm support” from all nations in the fight against terrorism, insisting that there is no room for “double standards” in addressing this issue.

Speaking at the 16th BRICS Summit, Modi also highlighted the necessity of taking “active steps” to prevent the radicalization of youth.

His remarks were made in the presence of key leaders from BRICS countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India is fully committed to increasing cooperation under the BRICS. Our belief in our diversity and multipolarity is our strength. This strength of ours and our shared belief in humanity will help in giving a meaningful shape to the prosperous and strong future of our future generations. I extend my heartfelt best wishes to Brazil President Lula as the next President of the BRICS. India will give its full support to you for the success of your BRICS presidency.”

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I want to thank President Putin for the successful organisation of the 16th BRICS Summit. I once again heartily welcome the new colleagues associated with BRICS. In its new form, BRICS represents 40% of the world's humanity and about 30% of the economy. BRICS has achieved many things in the last two decades. I am confident that in the coming times, this organisation will emerge as a more effective medium to face global challenges. I congratulate Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank. In the last 10 years, this bank has been emerging as an important option for the development of the countries of the Global South. The opening of GIFT City in India has strengthened the activities of this bank... NDB should continue to work on the demand-driven principle and while expanding the bank, priority should be given to ensuring long-term financial sustainability, healthy credit ratings, and market access."

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At BRICS Summit, China's President Xi Jinping called on BRICS nations to enhance their financial and economic collaboration, emphasising that the urgency for reforming the international financial architecture is increasing.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the 16th BRICS Summit, suggested establishing a BRICS grain exchange that could eventually expand to include trade in other commodities, Reuters reported.

During the summit in Russia, he informed the leaders of BRICS nations that this exchange would help safeguard trade among BRICS countries and other nations in the Global South from extreme price fluctuations.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia's Kazan, China President Xi Jinping advocates for building BRICS for justice and leading the reform of the global governance system.

He states that China is willing to expand cooperation with BRICS countries in the green industry, clean energy, and green minerals. Xi calls on BRICS members to build BRICS for innovation and act as pioneers for high-quality development.

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: During the 16th BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin advocated for the establishment of a BRICS Artificial Intelligence alliance aimed at regulating the AI industry and setting ethical norms, Reuters reported

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: Emphasising the importance of regulations on cybersecurity, PM Modi said at the BRICS Summit, “We should work for global regulations for cybersecurity and safe, secure AI.”

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At the BRICS Summit, PM Modi says, "We should set an example for the entire world and raise our voices unanimously for reforms in global institutions."

He further adds “We should move forward in a timely manner for reforms in global institutions like the UN Security Council and WTO.”

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: At the BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war."

He called for strong and unanimous cooperation among member nations to combat terrorism and its financing, saying, "We all have to cooperate strongly and unanimously to deal with terrorism and terror financing."

Modi highlighted that addressing inflation and ensuring security in the food, energy, health, and water sectors are priority issues for all countries. “Containing inflation, ensuring security in food, energy, health and water sectors are priority issues for all countries,” he said.

He also stressed the need to convey a clear message to the world that “BRICS is not a divisive but a public interest group.”

BRICS Summit 2024 live updates: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Wednesday that the BRICS group of emerging economies plays a crucial role in establishing a new multipolar world order. He emphasized that the summit taking place this week in Russia presents an opportunity to create a more equitable global landscape.