Prime Minister Narendra Modi led India’s participation at the 12th BRICS Summit, convened under the Chairship of President Vladimir Putin of Russia on 17 November 2020, in a virtual format. The theme of the Summit was “Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth”. President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, President Xi Jinping of China and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa also participated in the Summit.
Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation to President Putin for the momentum in BRICS under the Russian Chair, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that BRICS has played a significant role in fight against terrorism and in promoting the global economy. Prime Minister called for necessary reform of the UN and especially the Security Council, and other international bodies like WTO, IMF, WHO etc. to make them relevant to contemporary realities.
Prime Minister called for cooperation in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and in this regard noted the supply of essential medicines to over 150 countries by India. He said that during its Chairship of the BRICS in 2021, India would focus on consolidation of intra-BRICS cooperation, including in the fields of traditional medicine and digital health, people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges.
At the conclusion of the Summit, BRICS Leaders adopted the “Moscow Declaration”.