12th BRICS Summit to be Held Today

The 12th BRICS summit that is to be hosted by Russia on November 17, 2020. The summit will be held under the theme “Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth”. From India’s side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the summit.

Highlights

The BRICS members participating in the meeting are China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa. Earlier, the meeting was to be held at St Petersburg in July 2020.  But, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The12th summit of the BRICS is being held in the backdrop of 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). During the 12th Summit which will be held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders from the member countries would discuss the intra-BRICS cooperation and key issues in the global context. They would discuss about the reform of the multilateral system, measures to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and cooperation in fields of Counter Terrorism, trade, health, energy & people to people exchanges.

India’s Chairship

India will take over the Chairship of the 13th BRICS Summit in the year 2021. This would be the third BRICS Presidency for India after 1st chairship in 2012 and 2nd chairship in 2016.

Significance of BRICS to India

The BRICS platform provides an opportunity to India so as to balance the China-Russia axis and USA. India is currently standing in the middle of Global Geopolitics because of which it becomes highly challenging for India to choose a middle path to balance its interests between Russia, US and China. Further, the BRICS states plays significant role in G20 grouping. The BRICS countries have a common objective to reform the international monetary system in order to balance the international order. The western countries have been raising hands on the issues staring from the climate change to the World Trade Organization. This in away is crippling the developing countries. In that context, the BRICS grouping has emerged as the voice of developing countries in the recent years. Further, the BRICS forum acts as a common platform to work against terrorism.