PM Modi will be key leader at BRICS summit as it tries to navigate delicate geopolitical scenario

Rio de Janeiro, July 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the key leader at the Rio de Janeiro BRICS Summit that starts Sunday as the group tries to navigate the delicate geopolitical and world economic situations.

PM Modi, who arrived here Saturday, and host President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil are expected to steer BRICS closer to its founding goal of economic cooperation and development, and away from the political slant pushed by China and Russia tinged with anti-West sentiments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who advocate a more political orientation for BRICS, won't be there.

The Russian news agency Tass said that Putin will be speaking at the summit through a video link, while Xi will be sending Prime Minister Li Qiang.

PM Modi, representing the second-largest economy and most populous nation in BRICS, is set to take over the leadership of the group from da Silva next year and will have a role in directing BRICS towards India's agenda.

On some of the most divisive issues, India will take a strong stand for moderation, as it demonstrated at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting last month when it refused to join its statement condemning Israel. That will be something that BRICS will want to avoid, and PM Modi will be there to focus the deliberations.

The US tariff war will come up at the summit, where the leaders will struggle to come up with a nuanced consensus statement. While some push for condemnation of "unilateral coercive measures” and naming the US, it is more likely it would, under India's moderating influence, settle for expressions of concern without naming any country.

India's trade negotiations with the US are at a delicate stage, and it would be against New Delhi's interests to accede to the Chinese and Russian lines, especially with Beijing's quest for dominance.

On the bombing of Iran and the Gaza War, the final stand is likely to continue with expressions of concern, rather than condemnation. Condemnation was excised from a May statement by BRICS on Iran to get India on board.

Iran, which joined BRICS last year, will be there with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to push its case in person after President Masoud Pezeshkian backed out.

Brazil's theme for its leadership is Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a more Inclusive and Sustainable Governance, and that will dominate the summit. Artificial intelligence, which is emerging as a global force for change while introducing new political, social and economic vulnerabilities, will be one of the focus areas selected by Brazil.

With Brazil scheduled to host the next United Nations climate change conference in November, that will be a topic of importance at the summit.

Global health cooperation, trade, investment and finance will be the other areas on the agenda.

Prabowo Subianto, the president of Indonesia, whose country joined BRICS this year, will mark his nation's debut.

From Brazil, Russia, India and China, which were the founding members in 2006, BRICS has expanded, adding South Africa in 2011, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt in 2024, and Indonesia this year.

BRICS has a category of partner countries that do not have full membership but could be on the way to it while participating in some of its activities. They are Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, and Vietnam and their leaders will be at the summit.

Countries that have applied for membership include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Venezuela, Myanmar and Senegal. One of the signs of India's moderating influence was on suggestions for a BRICS currency for trade.

President Donald Trump has warned BRICS against developing such a currency as an alternative to the dollar and threatened dire consequences.

India shot down the proposal, which under the guise of BRICS would have been manipulated by China.

The anti-Western drift that India is trying to counter through moderation has cost BRICS at least two members. After the election of Javier Milei, who is close to Trump, as president, Argentina rescinded its plans to join BRICS last year because the new administration was not at home with the group's trend.

Saudi Arabia, which had also received an invitation to join BRICS last year, has sat it out so far without formally turning it down.

--IANS

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