Johannesburg, Aug 23: China wants to integrate Pakistan into the BRICS alliance (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), and Chinese President XI Jinping’s attempt has triggered a diplomatic complexity. This development arises as China argues that the BRICS coalition should expand its membership to include more developing nations, using this rationale to advocate for Pakistan's inclusion.
Earlier in 2023, Pakistan, along with other countries like Argentina, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, expressed their interest in joining BRICS.
The motivations behind this inclination toward BRICS are rooted in developing nations' dissatisfaction with the stringent conditions imposed by Western-dominated institutions. Additionally, there is scepticism among these countries about Western values, viewing them as a façade to advance self-serving agendas.
Meanwhile, several Indian media reports claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has opposed China’s bid for inclusion of Pakistan and expressed fear that it could dilute the alliance's core objectives and consensus built among its existing members.
However, addressing the annual summit of leaders of BRICS in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Modi asserted that for a "future-ready" BRICS, the societies of these five countries will have to be "future-ready" and extended India's support to the expansion of the grouping based on consensus.
The Indian PM also hoped that India's proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G20 will be supported by BRICS member nations.
"We will have to make our societies future-ready to make BRICS future-ready," he said at the meet in Johannesburg.
Welcoming the move to give special importance to countries of the Global South under the South African presidency of the BRICS, Modi said India has given the "highest priority" to the countries of the Global South under its G20 presidency as well.
India fully supports the expansion of BRICS and welcomes the move to take forward the proposal based on consensus, he said.
The Prime Minister said the BRICS embarked on a long and amazing journey in the last two decades and highlighted how the New Development Bank of the grouping is playing an important role in carrying forward developmental activities in the Global South.
India suggested measures in areas of Railway research networks, and cooperation among MSMEs and start-ups and there has been significant progress in these fields, Modi said.
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