Modi Holds Bilateral Talks With South Africa, Philippines and Egypt at BRICS Summit
PM Modi met the leaders of South Africa, the Philippines and Egypt on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, with trade, defence and technology topping the agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of bilateral meetings on Sunday on the margins of the BRICS summit, sitting down with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The talks centred on widening cooperation in trade and investment, defence, technology and people-to-people contacts, with officials describing these as the dominant themes across the engagements.
In his meeting with Ramaphosa, Modi said the two sides took stock of the entire India-South Africa strategic partnership, covering mining and critical minerals, infrastructure, food security, digital public infrastructure and emerging technologies. He described the relationship as one rooted in history and oriented towards the future, adding that the two countries would work closely on Africa's progress, the priorities of the Global South and a more balanced global order.
The two leaders also exchanged views on global issues of mutual interest and agreed to stay in close coordination in multilateral forums. Citing the successful translocation of cheetahs from South Africa to India, Modi invited South Africa to consider joining the International Big Cat Alliance.
With Marcos Jr, the Prime Minister reviewed the growing momentum in the India-Philippines strategic partnership, focusing on economic linkages and cooperation in technology, trade, space and innovation. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with progress across all areas of bilateral cooperation and agreed to deepen collaboration in defence and security, trade and investment, space, railway infrastructure, fintech, education, tourism, and science and technology. Modi said they also discussed ways to strengthen India-ASEAN engagement.
Modi described his interaction with El-Sisi as a wonderful exchange, saying the two discussed a range of issues, particularly regional developments and the steadily growing friendship between India and Egypt.
The Prime Minister also met Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with whom he said he held productive discussions on lending fresh momentum to the India-Kazakhstan strategic partnership. He pointed to considerable potential for deeper cooperation in trade, investment, energy, technology, connectivity and innovation, alongside cultural and people-to-people ties.
In his meeting with Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Modi congratulated him on assuming the chairmanship of the African Union. The two leaders discussed development cooperation, capacity building, youth skilling, agriculture and clean energy. Recalling India's role in bringing the African Union into the G20 during its 2023 presidency, they stressed that the India-African Union partnership is a key pillar of cooperation within the Global South. Modi also commended the African Union's leadership in combating the Ebola outbreak.
Modi also held talks with Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima, covering trade, power, clean energy, fertilisers and defence, as well as health, capacity building and technology. With Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, he said India and Indonesia would continue strengthening their partnership across a wide range of sectors. His discussions with Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo focused on deepening cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, digital technologies and capacity building.