JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attended the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) leaders’ meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, joining Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for discussions on trilateral cooperation and global priorities. Modi emphasized that IBSA is not merely a grouping of three nations but an essential platform connecting three continents, three major democracies, and three significant economies, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.
He urged IBSA to send a strong message that reforming global governance institutions, particularly the UN Security Council, is not optional but imperative. Modi also stressed that “there should be no room for double standards while fighting terrorism,” calling for deeper cooperation among the three nations in counterterrorism efforts. Highlighting the importance of technology in driving human-centric development, he proposed creating an “IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance” to support the sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure, including UPI, health platforms such as CoWIN, cybersecurity systems, and women-led tech initiatives.
The meeting came as Modi continued a packed schedule of bilateral and multilateral engagements at the G20, marking his second day of discussions with global leaders. Earlier, he held a warm and productive bilateral meeting with President Ramaphosa. Modi congratulated South Africa on its successful G20 presidency, praising Ramaphosa’s leadership in building consensus on critical global challenges.
According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, Modi and Ramaphosa explored ways to strengthen collaboration in trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, Digital Public Infrastructure, skill development, and food security. They also discussed the possibility of initiating youth delegation exchanges to enhance technology partnerships and people-to-people connections. The Prime Minister also commended South Africa’s initiative to convene the IBSA leaders’ meeting.
This year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit—held for the first time on African soil—is centered on the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.” At the opening session a day earlier, Modi called on member nations to revisit global development frameworks and proposed launching a G20 initiative to combat the drug-terror nexus, along with establishing a global healthcare response team. His remarks underscored the need for coordinated action on pressing international concerns.
During a session titled “A Resilient World — the G20’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems,” Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to a development model that is human-centric, sustainable, and inclusive. He noted that India’s approach aligns with global efforts to bolster resilience against emerging global challenges.
In a post on X, Modi wrote, “The second session at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg focused on building a resilient world in the face of disasters, climate change and ensuring energy transitions that are just as well as robust food systems. India has been actively working on all these fronts, building a future that is human-centric and inclusive.”
Upon arriving at the summit venue on Saturday, Modi was greeted warmly by President Ramaphosa with a traditional “namaste,” reflecting the close ties between the two nations. Throughout the summit, Modi engaged with several world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and others.
Following his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Modi wrote on X, “It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership and we will keep driving it forward across many domains.” He added that he had a “great exchange of views” with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and noted the two countries’ intention “to diversify bilateral cooperation.” Modi also said he was “delighted” to meet President Macron, adding that they “had an engaging exchange on different issues. India-France ties remain a force for global good!” (ANI)
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