Welcome Remarks by Gen (Dr) V K Singh (Retd), Minister of State for External Affairs in Opening Session of BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting
June 19, 2017
Your Excellency Mr. Wang Yi
Excellency Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Excellency Mr. Aloysio Nunes Ferreira
Excellency Mr. Sergey Lavrov
- At the outset, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Foreign Minister Wang Yi for organizing today’s meeting. I would like to take this opportunity to convey the warmest greetings on behalf of my External Affairs Minister Mme. Sushma Swaraj
for today’s meeting.
- I thank Foreign Minister Wang Yi for his warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to me and my fellow BRICS colleagues. It is our privilege to be in Beijing, which has been a city of great historic significance and played a seminal role in the evolution
of Chinese arts, crafts, and literature.
Excellencies, - I am glad that China, under its Chairmanship, has organized the standalone Meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers. BRICS Foreign Ministers have been customarily meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly every year.
- Excellency, the BRICS process had started in 2006 with the meeting of Foreign Ministers on UNGA margins. In 2009 it was elevated to the level of Heads of State and Government at the Yekaterinburg.
- BRICS has evolved with the eight Summits so far into a vibrant Forum with a rich agenda on economy and financial cooperation. BRICS has come to acquire a meaningful voice in global discourses on growth and development.
- Our meeting today is further significant in that our leadership will gather in Xiamen city for the 9th BRICS Summit at the beginning of September this year. Before that, our leaders will have an opportunity to exchange views on the margins of Hamburg G20
Summit in early July.
- I am sure our deliberations today will play a significant roel in the implementation of BRICS agenda and in preparing well for the upcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit.
- During our Chairmanship in 2016, India strived to consolidate BRICS as a brand by involving our cities and masses with the BRICS process. We paid special attention to enhancing intra-BRICS collaborations and to strengthen people to people exchanges.
- We are very happy to witness that the process is being carried forward under China’s able Chairmanship.
Excellencies, - India attaches great importance to BRICS and we are continuing to work closely with our BRICS partners in the spirit of mutual trust, respect and transparency to further enhance and strengthen our bonds.
- Prime Minister Modi had laid special emphasis on people-to-people exchanges in the BRICS process. We are happy to note that this is further being strengthening under the China’s Chairmanship this year.
- As we speak, I believe BRICS games 2017 are well underway. I am told that the games were inaugurated in a wonderful ceremony on 17th June, which also featured a performance by a Yoga team from India. This kind of people-to-people contacts will further cement
our ties.
Excellencies, - Besides cooperating on financial issues, the BRICS agenda has witnessed steady expansion. BRICS Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism concluded its meeting in May 2017.
- Our National Security Advisers are scheduled to meet next month. In their Delhi meeting last year they had reached significant understanding to enhance BRICS cooperation in security and counter-terrorism matters.
- Our Permanent Representatives in New York and Geneva coordinate regularly on issues of mutual and common interest.
- I reiterate that India attaches utmost importance to its engagement with BRICS. Our Prime Minister has repeatedly underscored the role of BRICS in the international arena and stressed the importance of fostering Intra-BRICS cooperation.
Excellencies, I thank you.