BRICS Summit Focused On Global South, Inclusivity; India Delivered Over 50 Outcomes: MEA

India focused on outreach during the BRICS Summit, with an emphasis on inclusivity and the ability of member nations to speak “directly and candidly on global governance and multilateralism”, said Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations), during a special media briefing after the conclusion of the two-day BRICS Summit.

India’s Outreach To Non-Member Countries

Dalela noted that a special effort was made to engage non-member countries.

“Apart from member countries and ten partner countries, we had invited outreach countries, namely, the President of the African Union; the President of Burundi; the President of the Philippines, who is currently the chair of ASEAN; the current chair of CELAC, Uruguay; and the chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Bahrain,” Dalela said.

He added that India sought to make BRICS more inclusive by holding over 350 meetings across approximately 30 cities nationwide.

Focus On Global South And Key Priorities

Highlighting the core priorities, Dalela said India advocated for BRICS to speak for the Global South in reforming global governance, condemn terrorism without qualification, and deliver tangible results in health, food security, energy, digital public infrastructure and disaster resilience.

“India's chairmanship has focused on deliverables,” Dalela said, noting that the country achieved over 50 concrete outcomes across various thematic tracks.

Why Was Bangladesh Invited?

Responding to queries about Bangladesh's participation in the Leaders' Summit, Dalela clarified that an invitation was extended to the BIMSTEC chair, a position currently held by Bangladesh.

Critical Minerals As Key Area Of Cooperation

Addressing future avenues of partnership, Dalela identified critical minerals as a major focus area for joint efforts among member countries.

He noted that specific reference to cooperation on critical minerals has been incorporated into the New Delhi Declaration.