Indicating a possible summit-level meeting between India and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he would hold bilateral meetings with BRICS member countries in Xiamen on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. In a series of tweets, Mr. Modi said he hoped to build on the outcome of last year’s summit at Goa and laid out issues for his visit to Myanmar.
“I look forward to engaging with leaders of nine other countries, including BRICS partners, in an Emerging Markets and Developing Countries Dialogue, hosted by President Xi Jinping on 5 September. I will have the opportunity to meet leaders bilaterally on the sidelines of the Summit,” Mr. Modi tweeted.
First post-Doklam meet
The Prime Minister will leave for Xiamen, China on Sunday, after the Cabinet reshuffle, for the BRICS summit on September 4. The visit comes a week after India and China ended the two-month long standoff at Doklam.
The statements are significant as this is the first time the Indian and Chinese leadership will participate in a multilateral meeting after the Doklam standoff.
“I look forward to building upon the results and outcomes of the Goa Summit. I also look forward to productive discussions and positive outcomes that will support the agenda of a stronger BRICS partnership under the chairmanship of China,” Mr. Modi said in a series of tweets about the forthcoming visit. Mr Modi said, “India attaches high importance to BRICS, which has begun a second decade of its partnership for progress and peace.”
Myanmar visit
He also highlighted his September 5 to7 visit to Myanmar and said, “My Myanmar visit includes programes in the historic city of Bagan and Yangon. India wants to deepen cooperation with Myanmar in areas such as trade, dinvestment, counter-terrorism, skill development, energy and culture.” The Prime Minister added that he would also interact with the Indian community in Myanmar during his visit.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Mr Modi said he would hold talks with the Myanmar leadership.
“During the visit, we will review developments in our bilateral relations, especially the extensive programme of development cooperation and socio-economic assistance that India is undertaking in Myanmar, and explore new areas in which we can work together,” he said.
