New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the upcoming BRICS Summit scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6–7. His participation comes at a crucial moment for the grouping, as two key leaders—Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping—will not be attending in person. Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang. This marks the first time President Xi will skip a BRICS Summit, with no official reason given, though sources suggest internal matters may be the cause. Putin’s absence is due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), with Brazil being a signatory to the ICC, making his visit legally risky.
This year’s summit is especially significant as BRICS has expanded from five to ten members, reinforcing its position as a major non-Western geopolitical bloc. The original members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—have now welcomed five new countries into the fold. Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit to strengthen India’s global diplomatic outreach.
The Brazil summit is just one leg of Prime Minister Modi’s broader international tour from July 2 to July 9, covering five countries across three continents. He will begin his journey in Ghana on July 2, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation. From there, he will travel to Trinidad and Tobago on July 3–4 at the invitation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, where he is expected to address a Joint Session of Parliament—the first such Prime Ministerial visit to T&T since 1999.
Following this, Modi will visit Argentina from July 4–5, where he is scheduled to meet President Javier Milei to discuss economic, trade, and technology cooperation. He will then proceed to Brazil from July 5–8 to attend the BRICS Summit hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Finally, on July 9, Modi will conclude his tour with a state visit to Namibia at the invitation of President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, focusing on areas such as renewable energy, wildlife conservation, and developmental cooperation.
This high-profile multi-nation trip highlights India’s growing diplomatic engagement with the Global South and reaffirms its commitment to shaping a more balanced, inclusive international order.
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