Jaishankar to represent India at virtual BRICS Summit on Sept 8

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will participate in the BRICS Summit convened virtually on September 8 under Brazil’s chairmanship, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday.

“The Brazilian chair of BRICS has called for a virtual meeting, which will take place on September 8. From our side, it will be the External Affairs Minister who will be participating. This BRICS Summit is at the leaders’ level,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at the weekly media briefing.

The summit will bring together leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is expected to deliberate on global political and economic challenges.

Reports suggest that the summit will be attended by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The meeting comes at a time when BRICS’ growing footprint is being closely watched in Western capitals, particularly Washington, which has expressed unease over the grouping’s increasing alignment on issues such as trade, energy and financial mechanisms outside the US-led system.

This will be the first BRICS leaders’ interaction under Brazil’s presidency this year.

The BRICS, which has recently expanded to include new members, now represents 11 major emerging economies. Collectively, the bloc accounts for around 49.5% of the global population, about 40% of world GDP, and nearly 26% of global trade.