BRICS Sherpas, Sous Sherpas meet for final time in 2021 with India at the helm

The Ministry of External Affairs announced that on December 15, the BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas met for the final time under India's Chairship in the year 2021.During the conference, the BRICS Gavel and Handover Report were handed over to China, which highlighted its priorities for its BRICS Chairship, which begins on January 1. The BRICS partners praised India's BRICS Chairsnip in 2021 and also praised the activities carried out, despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19.

BRICS cooperation while supporting the principles of continuity, consolidation, and consensus acknowledged that the BRICS Strategic Partnership has been enhanced this year for the mutual benefit of the countries and people. The BRICS partners agreed to give China their full support for the BRICS Chairship in 2022. India congratulated its BRICS partners for their constructive involvement throughout the year of its Chairship.

BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus

The theme for India's Chairship was 'BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus' with the goals of Multilateral System Reform, Counter-Terrorism Cooperation, Using Digital and Technological Solutions to Achieve SDGs and Enhancing People to People Exchanges.

On September 9, 2021, the last BRICS Summit was held virtually. The leaders signed the Delhi Declaration, reiterating their commitment to combating the COVID pandemic. BRICS countries' joint efforts on political, security, economic, and cultural fronts were strengthened. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, leaders from the member countries discussed numerous concerns during the virtual summit in September including the COVID-19 pandemic, developments in Afghanistan, and terrorism. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the conference.

BRICS Foreign Ministers adopt the Joint Statement

The BRICS Foreign Ministers adopted the Joint Statement on Strengthening and Reforming the Multilateral System during their meeting in June 2021 in order to make global governance more responsive and agile. BRlCS cooperation was expanded into other areas, such as the first BRICS Digital Health Summit and the first meeting of BRICS Water Ministers. BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan, operationalization of the Agricultural Research Platform, signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Remote-sensing Satellites Constellation and finalisation of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Regulation of Medical Products for Human Use were among India's other initiatives in during the Chairship.