Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives Ceremonial welcome on his arrival at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, in South Africa on August 22, 2023.
Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today afternoon at the invitation of South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit being held here under the South African Chairmanship. He was received at the airport by Deputy President Paul Shipokosa Mashatile.
Earlier, in his departure statement, Modi said the Summit will provide a “useful opportunity” for BRICS to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development. “BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors. We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system,” he said.
During his stay in Johannesburg, Modi will also participate in the BRICS–Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue event that will be held as part of the BRICS Summit activities. He would also be holding bilateral meetings with “some of the leaders present in Johannesburg”.
From South Africa, Modi will travel to Athens, Greece on August 25, 2023, at the invitation of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece. This will be his first visit to Greece and he would also be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Greece in 40 years. “Contacts between our two civilizations stretch back over two millennia. In modern times, our ties have been strengthened by shared values of democracy, the rule of law and pluralism. Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defence, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer. I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our multifaceted relationship,” Modi stated.
– global bihari bureau
