**EDS: HANDOUT PHOTO MADE AVAILABLE FROM PIB ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022** New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the 14th ‘BRICS Summit’ through a video conference, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (PTI Photo)
New Delhi, June 23 (PTI) The ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy is still visible and mutual cooperation among the BRICS nations can make a useful contribution for its recovery, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday at a China-hosted virtual summit of the five-nation grouping.
The prime minister also said the BRICS member countries have similar approach to the governance of the global economy.
Modi made the remarks in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.
"Today for the third year in a row, we are meeting virtually amid the challenges of the Covid pandemic. Even though the scale of the epidemic has reduced globally than before, however many of its ill effects are still visible in the global economy," Modi said.
"We, the BRICS member countries, have had a very similar view of the governance of the global economy. And so our mutual cooperation can make a useful contribution to post-Covid global recovery," he added.
The BRICS leaders met virtually in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis and the prolonged military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh.
China hosted the summit in its capacity as the chair of the grouping for this year.
In his address, Modi said a number of institutional reforms were made in the BRICS which have increased the effectiveness of the organisation.
"It is also a matter of happiness that the membership of our New Development Bank has also increased. There are many areas where the lives of our citizens are getting directly benefited from our mutual cooperation."
"For example, establishment of vaccine R and D center, coordination among custom departments, establishment of shared satellite constellation, mutual recognition of pharma products, etc," he added.
Modi said such practical steps make BRICS a unique international organisation whose focus is not just limited to dialogue.
"BRICS Youth Summits, BRICS Sports, and increase in exchanges amongst our civil society organisations and think-tanks have strengthened our people-to-people contact," he said.
"I am confident that today's discussion will bring out many suggestions to further strengthen our BRICS ties," the prime minister said.
Chinese President Xi asks BRICS to jointly safeguard world peace; attacks US, EU military alliances
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on the BRICS nations to jointly safeguard world peace and tranquillity, and asked them to oppose the "abuse" of unilateral sanctions and reject the formation of "small circles", in an apparent jibe at the US.
Xi, who hosted the 14th BRICS Summit via video link, also noted that the shadows of Cold War mentality and power politics linger on in today's world, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took part in the annual summit hosted by President Xi.
In a veiled attack on the US and EU, he said certain countries, in attempts to expand military alliances to pursue absolute security, have coerced others to pick sides and created confrontation.
"They ignored other countries' rights and interests while seeking supremacy , he said.
"The world will become even more volatile and unstable if we allow the dangerous trend to continue," Xi said.
China asserts that the eastward expansion of NATO by the US and EU was the root cause of Russia's offensive against Ukraine.
BRICS countries should support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, practice true multilateralism, uphold justice, fairness and unity, and oppose hegemony, bullying and division, Xi said.
"The BRICS mechanism has demonstrated resilience and vitality. BRICS cooperation has achieved sound progress and results," he said in his speech posted on the website by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
But at the same time, he called on the BRICS nations to reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, oppose unilateral sanctions and abuse of sanctions, in an apparent reference to the sanctions by the US, EU and their allies against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
"We need to encourage the international community to practice true multilateralism and uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law," he said.
He also urged the world to "reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, oppose unilateral sanctions and abuse of sanctions, and reject the small circles built around hegemonism by forming one big family belonging to a community with a shared future for humanity."
China has been critical of the Quad (US, India, Japan and Australia) and AUKUS (US, UK, Australia) alliances, alleging they were aimed at containing its rise.
In his opening address to the 14th BRICS summit via video link, Xi said over the past year, the world has faced the continued spread of COVID-19, a tortuous world economic recovery and increasingly salient peace and security issues.
"Facing the formidable and complex circumstances, BRICS countries have embraced the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, enhanced solidarity and coordination and jointly tackled the challenges," said Xi.
Significantly, the summit was not telecast live by its official television channels, which carried commentaries on the BRICS countries.
Xi has been lashing out at the United States and the European Union in recent speeches for imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. He reiterated the same in his address at the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday.
China, a close ally of Russia, has declined to condemn Moscow for the invasion against Ukraine and maintained close political and business links.
Latest reports said China's crude oil imports from Russia have climbed to over 55 per cent from a year earlier last month displacing Saudi Arabia as Beijing's top supplier.
Xi stressed that the BRICS Summit is held at a critical juncture in the shaping of the future course of humanity. BRICS countries, as important emerging markets and major developing countries, need to act with a sense of responsibility to bring positive, stabilising and constructive strength to the world, he said.
"We need to speak out for equity and justice," he said.
He also said the BRICS countries need to "remain firm in our conviction that we will defeat the pandemic and act responsibly to protect our peoples and their lives .
"We need to build a strong line of defence against the virus, enhance international COVID response cooperation, and jointly defend people's lives and health," he said.
Also the BRICS countries "need to pool strength for economic recovery, step up macro-policy coordination, keep industrial and supply chains secure and unclogged, build an open world economy, and forestall and defuse major risks and challenges in global development, to work for more inclusive and resilient economic growth", he said.
He said the BRICS countries need to advocate sustainable and people-centred development, invest more in poverty alleviation, food, education, health and so on, and promote the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to bring stronger, greener and healthier global development.
Xi said he looks forward to an in-depth and vibrant discussion under the theme of "Fostering High-quality Partnership and Ushering in a New Era of Global Development to jointly contribute wisdom and ideas to the high-quality development of BRICS cooperation.
