Brazil: PM Modi among other leaders of BRICS group gather for Rio Summit
🌍 Summit Overview
Hosted by Brazilian President Lula da Silva at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art on July 6–7, 2025 .
Theme: *“Strengthening Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”* .
👥 Who Attended
In person: PM Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Lula, South African President Ramaphosa, along with delegations from India, South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia (first summit with full Indonesian membership) .
Absent:
Vladimir Putin (attended virtually due to ICC arrest warrant) .
Chinese President Xi Jinping (represented by Premier Li Qiang) .
🗣️ Key Messages & Joint Declaration
Leaders affirmed their role as defenders of multilateralism amidst global division .
Support for reforming Western-led institutions—UN Security Council, IMF—echoed, with Lula likening BRICS to today’s Non‑Aligned Movement .
Issuance of a joint declaration ahead of the summit marking diplomatic consensus on Gaza, Israel–Iran tensions, UN reform, and critique of U.S. protectionist trade policies .
💬 PM Modi’s Role & Statements
Modi arrived at the museum accompanied by President Lula .
Stressed BRICS as a powerful platform for economic cooperation and global good, emphasizing reforms in global governance, peace and security, AI, climate, health, and finance .
Announced that India will assume the BRICS chairship in 2026, last held in 2021 .
🌐 Strategic Earth for the Global South
Summit showcased BRICS’s growth: now 11 full members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia .
Over 30 countries expressed interest in joining .
Group represents ~50% of world population and ~40% of global GDP .
Discussions included climate finance initiatives (e.g., Tropical Forests Forever Facility by China and UAE), and deeper intra‑BRICS trade using national currencies .
🔄 Challenges & Limitations
Expansion brought internal diversity and ideological differences, complicating unified positions—particularly on Gaza, Iran, and Security Council reform .
China and Russia’s absence in person reflected cautious summit tone .
Host Brazil emphasized agenda discipline, favoring climate, AI, global health, and steering clear of overly contentious issues to maintain bloc unity .
📝 Final Take
The Rio Summit painted BRICS as a more influential Global South alliance, pushing for reforms in global governnce, economic cooperation, climate action, and multilateralism. Despite unity in broad goals and a joint declaration, the summit underscored the complexity of coordinating a rapidly growing, diverse coalition—especially with internal divisions, absent major leaders, and cautious handling of geopolitical tensions. PM Modi’s active participation and upcoming 2026 leadership signal India’s cont
inued central role in shaping BRICS’s future direction.