PM Narendra Modi reaches China to attend BRICS Summit

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Sunday to attend the 9th BRICS Summit in the Chinese southeastern city Xiamen. He is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the three-day event.

Their meeting will be keenly watched after the resolution of the Doklam border row, which pitted the armies of the two countries against each other for over two months.

This will be the second bilateral meeting between the two leaders this year. The last one took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

They met informally at the G20 Summit in Germany in July amid the Doklam crisis.

Besides, Modi is expected to meet Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Michael Temer of Brazil. Also attending the event will be South African President Jacob Zuma.

The Indian leader will address the BRICS leaders' dialogue with 'BRICS Business Council' meeting.

He will take part in an event of the 'Emerging Markets and Developing Countries' Dialogue' on Tuesday morning.

After the BRICS Summit, Modi will travel to Myanmar.

Modi departed for China after attending a swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in which nine new ministers were inducted and four Ministers of State joined the council of ministers.

On Saturday, Modi said that India attached high importance to the role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping "that has begun a second decade of its partnership for progress and peace".

"BRICS has important contributions to make in addressing global challenges and upholding world peace and security."

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The Prime Minister said that he looked forward to meeting leaders of nine other countries, including BRICS partners, in the Emerging Markets and Developing Countries Dialogue.

--IANS