Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Visit South Africa and Greece

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a four-day visit to South Africa and Greece from Tuesday. During his visit to South Africa, he will attend the 15th BRICS Summit, which will be held from August 22 to August 24. This will be the first in-person BRICS summit since 2019, and it is being organized at the invitation of President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa. The BRICS grouping consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The theme of this year’s summit is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism.” The summit will provide an opportunity to review the progress of the initiatives launched by the grouping and identify future areas of activity, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Prime Minister Modi will also take part in the special events BRICS – Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue. These events are being organized after the BRICS leadership summit and will include other nations invited by South Africa. Additionally, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders who will be present in Johannesburg.

A business delegation will also accompany PM Modi to South Africa. They will attend BRICS business track meetings, as well as the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum meetings.

Meanwhile, in Greece, Prime Minister Modi will visit on August 25 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This visit marks the first time in 40 years that an Indian Prime Minister is embarking on an official visit to Athens. The leaders will discuss ways to further deepen the relationship between India and Greece, and PM Modi will also interact with business leaders from both countries, as well as with the Indian community in Greece.

“India and Greece enjoy civilizational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defense, trade and investments, and people-to-people ties,” said the Ministry of External Affairs.

BRICS Expansion

During a special briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that India has a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion. Discussions are ongoing between the Sherpas of BRICS nations regarding expansion and to reach a consensus.

Greece Visit

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Greece signifies the strengthening of the relationship between India and Greece in various areas such as maritime transport, defense, trade and investments, and people-to-people ties.