New Delhi, 13 September (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the confidence of the countries of the Global South in BRICS has grown because their voices are heard within the grouping, their experiences are respected, and solutions are developed not for them, but with their participation.

The Prime Minister made these remarks in his welcome address at the session on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability during the BRICS Summit held at Bharat Mandapam today. He said the strength of BRICS lies in its diversity and cooperation. Therefore, diversity should become its identity, cooperation its inspiration, and its progress should serve the interests of all humanity.

“Today, this auditorium is bringing together different continents, cultures and development journeys. This is a testament to the growing strength, appeal and unprecedented confidence in BRICS,” Modi said.

Modi said BRICS has sought to promote inclusive global development through four pillars. Under India’s chairmanship, all BRICS initiatives have remained focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

He said, “Today, the number of tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and they are having a highly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people. Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have demonstrated that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region. Therefore, we have placed special emphasis on enhancing resilience at the BRICS Summit.”

Prime Minister Modi said that the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should reach the Global South. He stressed the need to adapt these solutions to local requirements while ensuring that they remain affordable and easy to adopt. He said the benefits of progress must reach all of humanity.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the need to strike a balance between development and the environment. He said that in Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother. Development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but complementary. Therefore, it is essential to follow a path of balanced development.

Modi also highlighted initiatives under BRICS, including the MSME Portal, Urban Mobility Hub, Smart Grids and Energy Storage, and the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence. He said such initiatives should be scaled up and made useful for countries of the Global South.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar