13th BRICS Summit 2021 – Burning Issues

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The News

PM Modi on 13^th BRICS Summit

Modi said 4 Cs are basic principles of the Brics partnership
Theme of ‘BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus‘.
Modi said that, “We have to ensure that BRICS is more productive in the next 15 years.”
BRICS have also resolved to adopt a “counter-terrorism action” plan following Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
Modi also said that despite COVID-19 situation this year, over 150 BRICS meetings and events were organised. Of these, over 20 were ministerial-level.

Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of Afghanistan, saying it should not become a “threat to its neighbouring countries, a source of drug trafficking and terrorism”.
Putin also hit out at the US: “It’s still unclear how this will affect global and regional security.”

Chinese president Xi Jinping said that in the past 15 years, these five nations have “enhanced strategic communication and political trust in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and equality”.

Success of BRICS:

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa & Brazilian President air Bolsonara highlighted the need for collective response to COVID-19.
“We must ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. This is the only way in which we can respond to this pandemic that engulfs the world”.

China’s BRI is opposed by India, and even Russia did not join the BRI plan.
South African economy is debt-laden and has negative current account. Many predict that it is heading towards an economic collapse in the next decade.
US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover has further complicated the geostrategic challenge for BRICS nations.