Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit five nations across Africa and South America from July 2 to July 9, with a key focus on securing a united front against terrorism at the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil.
India has received assurances that the summit's final declaration will forcefully condemn the recent Pahalgam terror attack and call for a firm action.
The five nation tour will cover Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. In PM’s meetings with the leaders of these countries, the discussions will be ranging from trade to defence, energy to technology, and agriculture to health.
Dammu Ravi, Secretary of Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed that the language in the declaration regarding terrorism will be "much to our satisfaction." Speaking to the media, he said the BRICS member nations have shown complete solidarity with India.
"There is also a broader understanding on how to deal with this menace of terrorism and no one should be spared in dealing with it. I think that is very well captured," he stated, as reported by PTI. The summit is also expected to discuss trade in national currencies and other key global issues.
Modi's tour will begin in Ghana from July 2 to July 3, marking the first visit by an Indian PM in three decades, to boost economic and defence ties. From there, he will travel to Trinidad and Tobago (July 3-4) to diversify cooperation in pharmaceuticals and renewable energy. The third leg will be in Argentina (July 4-5) for talks on enhancing partnerships in defence, agriculture, and mining.
The fourth will be Brazil from July 5 to July 8, first for the BRICS summit and then for a state visit, where discussions are expected to include Brazil's interest in India's Akash air defence systems. The tour will conclude with a final stop in Namibia on July 9 to renew economic ties.
The Prime Minister’s visit coincides with that of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the US for a meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers on July 1. It is also symbolic of India’s diplomatic balancing between the West and the non-West groupings at a time of strategic hedging in this period of geopolitical flux.
India's diplomatic push against terror was also highlighted by Jaishankar in New York. In a clear message aimed at Pakistan, he said, "When terrorism is supported by a State against a neighbour... it is important to call it out publicly."
According to The Indian Express, Jaishankar emphasized the need for "zero tolerance for terrorism," adding, "The world must come together on some basic concepts, no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies and no yielding to nuclear blackmail.”
