Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's invitation to participate in the BRICS Summit going to be held in Johannesburg.
PM Modi had a telephonic conversation with President Ramaphosa in which the South African President extended a cordial invitation to PM Modi for the BRICS Summit scheduled on August 22-24 and briefed him on the preparations for the same, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official release.
PM Modi accepted the invitation and conveyed that he is looking forward to his visit to Johannesburg to participate in the summit. Moreover, PM Modi assessed the progress in bilateral cooperation in time for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations with South Africa this week.
"The two leaders positively assessed the progress in bilateral cooperation, including in the context of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations being celebrated in 2023," the release stated.
Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to the official release.
President Ramaphosa later extended his support to India's initiatives as part of its ongoing G-20 presidency. He added that he is looking forward to visiting India to attend the G-20 Summit.
"The two leaders agreed to remain in touch," the release said.
South Africa is poised to host the prestigious 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from 22nd to 24th August 2023 with great anticipation. Initially formed as BRIC, a visionary concept coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neil in 2001.
The alliance was comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, and China – a collective representation of burgeoning emerging markets brimming with current and future economic prowess. In a momentous development in 2010, South Africa joined the ranks, bestowing the acronym BRICS upon this formidable bloc of nations.
(ANI)