PM Narendra Modi is in Hamburg for the G20 summit where he is meeting leaders from Argentina, China, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, UK and Vietnam. Amid an ongoing standoff between India and China in the Sikkim sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday promised full cooperation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for the forthcoming BRICS summit in China.
At the informal meeting of the BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Germany’s Hamburg, the Prime Minister called upon BRICS leaders to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economy.
He also urged the G20 nations to launch a collective crackdown on terror financing, safe havens, “support and sponsors” of terrorism.
A foreign ministry statement said that Mr Xi, while making concluding remarks, “appreciated India’s strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India’s chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India’s success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.”
PM Modi, who spoke just before Mr Xi, “appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi” and extended cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Summit to be held in China’s Xiamen later this year,” the ministry said.
The two leaders earlier exchanged pleasantries ahead of the summit. The meeting of the two leaders is a much watched one considering the two nations are at a stand off at the border.
Host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines. Outside the summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings.
The police had to resort to water canons, tear gas and pepper spray. Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, France’s Emmanuel Macron and the UK’s Theresa May are participating in the summit.
