The Aryavarth Express

RIO DE JANEIRO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived here for a four-day visit, during which he will participate in the 17th BRICS Summit and undertake a state visit.

The prime minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the Galeao International Airport on Saturday evening (local time).

This is the fourth leg of his five-nation visit.

“Landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I will take part in the BRICS Summit and later go to their capital, Brasília, for a state visit on the invitation of President Lula. Hoping for a productive round of meetings and interactions during this visit,” Modi said in a post on X.

“Committed to BRICS partnership! PM @narendramodi lands in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an X post.

The prime minister arrived here from Argentina, where he held wide-ranging talks with President Javier Milei and agreed to diversify two-way trade and ramp up cooperation in defence, critical minerals, pharmaceutical, energy and mining sectors.

During his visit, Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6 and 7, followed by a state visit, for which he will travel to Brasilia. It will be the first bilateral visit to the country by an Indian prime minister in nearly six decades.

BRICS, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has been expanded with five additional members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

In his departure statement, Modi said that as a founding member of BRICS, India is committed to the bloc as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies.

“Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order,” he said.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi will meet several world leaders.

Modi visited Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Argentina as part of the five-nation visit. He will travel to Namibia on the last leg of his tour.