Preventing inflation, ensuring food security, energy security, health security and water security, checking cyber deepfake are matters of priority for all the countries in the world, and there are high expectations from a platform like BRICS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

“I believe that, as a diverse and inclusive platform, BRICS can play a positive role in all areas. In this regard, our approach must remain people-centric. We have to give the world the message that BRICS is not a divisive organisation but one that works in the interest of humanity,” Modi said in his remarks at the closed plenary session of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday.

Modi also welcomed the new members of BRICS, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE, who also participated in the summit.

“Our diversity, respect for each other and our tradition of moving forward on the basis of consensus, are the basis of our cooperation. This quality of ours, and our BRICS spirit, are attracting other countries as well to this forum. I am confident that, in the times to come, we will together make this unique platform a model for dialogue, cooperation and coordination,” he said.

The Prime Minister also stressed on the need for a people-centric approach in dealing with challenges, while pointing out that the meeting was taking place at a time, when the world is facing several pressing challenges in the form of wars, economic uncertainty, climate change and terrorism, and talking about the North-South divide and the East-West divide.

“We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war. And just as we were able to overcome a challenge like Covid together, we are certainly able to create new opportunities to ensure a secure, strong and prosperous future for future generations,” he said.

Modi, in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, reiterated that India believed that problems (in the context of the on-going Russia-Ukraine war) should be resolved in a peaceful manner. “We fully support the early return of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity. India is ready to provide all possible cooperation in times to come,” he said.

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