New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will strongly raise the issue of terrorism during his ‘intervention’ at the BRICS summit, government sources indicated on Friday, even as he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Summit during which measures to avoid situations such as the just-ended Doklam military face-off in future could be discussed.
New Delhi also appears to be lukewarm to any permanent expansion of BRICS beyond the current five nations.
Modi will visit Xiamen for the BRICS summit from September 3 to 5. At the Summit which takes place on September 4, the global situation as well as regional issues will be discussed.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the ministry of external affairs did not reveal details of the bilateral meetings that Modi will have at Xiamen, saying it would reveal details once the timings of these are firmed up.
When asked about reports that China is apprehensive about India raising the issue — of Pakistan’s record in tackling terrorism — at the BRICS summit at Xiamen, the MEA spokesperson pointed out that “any leader is free to speak whatever he wants” during the ‘intervention’.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was quoted earlier by news agency reports as saying in Beijing, “We noticed that India, when it comes to Pakistan’s counter-terrorism, has some concerns. I don’t think this is an appropriate topic to be discussed at Brics summit.”
The MEA said it does not want to pre-empt what Modi will speak about, in his address at BRICS, but pointed out that the contents of the BRICS document unveiled will be decided by consensus between all five nations — India, China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
Modi will reach Xiamen in the late evening of September 3. The next day, September 4, will be the day of the summit in which cooperation in issues such as trade and development and innovative cooperation will be discussed.
BRICS leaders will also meet leaders of the five other countries invited by China, as part of an initiative, that includes Thailand, Mexico, Egypt and Tajikistan. Interestingly, China’s “iron brother” Pakistan does not figure among the five.
