Modi tells Brics summit of need for more co-operation across the Global South

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Addressing the Brics summit in New Delhi on its second day, Mr Modi also warned that the “weaponisation of technology and critical minerals” could hinder global development and shared prosperity.

“The number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people,” Mr Modi said, alongside bloc leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region,” the Indian prime minister said, while announcing that the bloc had agreed to establish an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases, aimed at boosting preparedness and response to future outbreaks.

In his closing remarks at the summit, Mr Modi urged the bloc nations to convert the summit’s agreements into tangible and time-bound action and move them from “files to real-life impact.”

The discussions over the past two days, he said, reinforced the belief that “Brics is not merely a group of countries but an ecosystem of solutions.”

The group, in a joint declaration issued on Saturday, had expressed concern at escalating tensions in the Middle East and Sudan and called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

The bloc reiterated support for a multipolar world order and reforms to the United Nations, including the security council, as well as global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The leaders opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures and criticised sanctions not authorised by the UN.

A meeting between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place on Saturday on the sidelines of the summit, in the latest effort by the rival neighbours to repair ties strained by a deadly border clash six years ago.

Mr Xi called for the two countries to draw on each other’s strengths, support one another and pursue common development.

He also urged “high-quality co-operation,” saying China and India should promote a more multipolar world and contribute to global peace and stability.

Mr Modi thanked Mr Xi for China’s co-operation in hosting the summit.

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