RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2156
TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2021
BRICS SUMMIT FOR EMERGING ECONOMIES
†2156. SHRI RAM SHAKAL:
Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:
(a) whether BRICS Summit has become an influential voice for the emerging economies of the world; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[DR. RAJKUMAR RANJAN SINGH]
(a) & (b) BRICS is an influential voice as a grouping of five major economies across continents. India assumed the rotational Chair of BRICS on 1 January 2021, for the calendar year 2021 and hosted the XIII BRICS Summit virtually on 09 September 2021.
BRICS has consultation and cooperation on a wide range of issues of mutual interest as well as contemporary global challenges and works on the basis of consensus. It has a strong agenda for collaboration across sectors among BRICS countries. It has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on the issues of common concern for all developing countries. BRICS countries have regularly called for reform of the multilateral system in order to make it more representative and inclusive. Amongst the major outcomes of India’s BRICS Chairship this year is the adoption of the BRICS Joint Statement on Strengthening and Reforming the Multilateral System.
India chose the theme ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus’ for her Chairship. Many ‘firsts’ were achieved during India’s BRICS Chairship this year, which include: (a) BRICS Digital Health Summit; (b) 1st BRICS Water Ministers Meeting; (c) Adoption of BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan; (d) Launch of BRICS Alliance for Green Tourism; (e) Operationalization of BRICS Agricultural Research Platform; (f) Signing of Agreement on BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation; (g) Finalisation of Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters; and (h) Finalisation of MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Regulation of Medical Products for Human Use. Under India’s Chairship, BRICS has emerged stronger and more vibrant.
***