On Tuesday, PM Modi departed for South Africa to attend the historic BRICS Summit 2023 in Johannesburg. This is the first in-person summit of the BRICS countries, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa since 2019. The Prime Minister will be in  South Africa on the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa where he will attend multiple programs and bilateral meetings from the 22nd to the 24th of August. Around 3.55 pm IST, PM Modi arrives at Sandton Convention Centre where he will attend the BRICS Business Forum leaders’ dialogue. After this, around 6 pm IST, PM Modi will arrive at Summer Place for BRICS Leaders’ Retreat where he will also join his fellow counterparts at the dinner table hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

Addressing the media on his departure PM Modi said “BRICS is a very important platform for its members to focus on a futuristic approach and review development and I am also looking forward to holding bilateral talks with other leaders present in the summit.” The PM also added that “BRICS has pushed for strong cooperation in various sectors. We appreciate that BRICS has become a forum for discussion and debate on issues affecting the entire Global South, including development needs and reform of the multilateral system. This summit provides a useful opportunity for the BRICS countries to identify areas of future cooperation and review institutional developments.”

From South Africa the Prime Minister will directly leave for Athens, Greece on 25th August, this is the first visit of any Indian Prime Minister to the ancient city of Greece in 40 years. On his visit to Greece, the PM said “The links between our two civilizations go back more than two millennia. Today our ties have been strengthened by common values – democracy, the rule of law and pluralism. Cooperation in various fields such as trade and investment, defence and cultural and people-to-people contacts have brought our countries closer to each other.” He also believes that his visit to Greece will open up new chapters in the strategic relations of both countries.