PM Modi participates in IBSA leaders’ meeting in South Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in the IBSA Leaders' Meeting here, reaffirming India's commitment to deepening cooperation within the trilateral forum comprising India, Brazil and South Africa.

PM Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit.

The IBSA grouping focuses on promoting South-South cooperation, pushing for reforms in global governance systems and enhancing collaboration among developing nations.

In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, and the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities of South Africa Sindisiwe Chikunga had met on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

The ministers had agreed to strengthen, expand and promote the IBSA Fund, an internationally recognised initiative of South-South cooperation, with 51 projects in 40 countries.

They had also reaffirmed their unconditional rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and urged zero tolerance for terrorism.

In a thinly veiled criticism of the US' tariff tussle, the ministers had expressed serious concern over the imposition of unilateral tariffs and other coercive measures as they risk destabilising world markets and trigger instability.

They held that the "discriminatory" measures are "inconsistent" with the norms of the World Trade Organisation.