Kazan (Russia): During the 16th BRICS Summit's Closed Plenary Session on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the urgent need for collective action in the face of global challenges. He noted that the world is currently grappling with wars, conflicts, economic uncertainty, climate change, and rising terrorism.

"We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war. And, just as we together defeated a challenge like COVID, in the same way we are fully capable of creating new opportunities for a safe, strong and prosperous future for future generations," he said.

Emphasising People-Centric Approaches
Modi asserted that BRICS should function as a "diverse and inclusive platform" and adopt a people-centric approach. "There are many expectations from BRICS. I believe that as a diverse and inclusive platform, BRICS can play a positive role on all issues. In this context, our approach should remain people-centric," he stated.

He further emphasised the importance of unity among member nations, urging a strong cooperative stance against terrorism. "We all have to be united and cooperate strongly to deal with terrorism and terror financing. There is no place for double standards on such a serious issue," he added.

Calls for Reforms in Global Institutions
Modi also pitched for significant reforms in global institutions, including the UN Security Council. He expressed the need for timely changes, stating, "We should move forward in a timely manner for reforms in global institutions like the UN Security Council, Multilateral Development Banks, and WTO." He cautioned that the image of BRICS should not suggest a desire to replace global institutions but to reform them.

Moreover, he expressed India's readiness to welcome new countries into BRICS as Partner Countries, underscoring the importance of unanimous decisions in this regard. "All decisions in this regard should be made unanimously and the views of the founding members of BRICS should be respected," Modi concluded.