As India is set to host 13th BRICS Summit, MEA Jaishankar launches 2021 website

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday launched a website for five-nation grouping BRICS, a bloc that represents over 3.6 billion people, nearly half the world’s population. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar announced, “Glad to have launched the #BRICS2021 website. Will provide a comprehensive snapshot of our strong BRICS engagement and the exhaustive calendar of events during BRICS at 15 under the Chairmanship of India.” The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) met for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006. Later, the group was formalized as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City, according to the BRICS India website. 

At a ceremony held at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, Jaishankar unveiled the website, http://www.brics2021.gov.in that groups the major emerging economies from the world. The member countries of BRICS, which have a combined GDP of USD 16.6 trillion, comprise 41 percent of the world population, approximately 24 percent of the world GDP, and 16 percent share in the world trade.

"Under the theme BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation, India's approach is focused on strengthening collaboration through continuity, consolidation, and consensus," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement to PTI.

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Reform of 'multilateral system'

MEA added, that this year, the priorities for BRICS will include reform of the multilateral system, counter-terrorism cooperation, technological and digital solutions for sustainable development goals, and enhancing people-to-people cooperation. The website, which is now LIVE, displays updated and dynamic information and useful links related to the pillars of BRICS, calendar of events, documents, and images from the previous meetings. The 13th BRICS Summit will be held under India’s Chairship in 2021, and it will be the third time India will host the BRICS Summit after 2012 and 2016. The theme for India’s Chairship for 2021 would be ‘BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus’. 

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(Images Credit: BRICS India Website)