Smiles, handshakes strike a chord of unity
Pictures of leaders of three major powerful countries warmly shaking hands and laughing during the ongoing BRICS summit here on Saturday signify the importance of this alliance.
A Beaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen holding hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, capturing what could be one of the most significant moments of the 18th BRICS Summit.
The picture from the Bharat Mandapam, where the BRICS leaders attended the summit, was posted on the Instagram handle of the Prime Minister. The background music of the picture was a song called ‘Kingdom BGM’. The moment of warmth seems to have stood out amid the rigid protocol of international diplomacy.
Modi also posted a few other pictures on his social media handles, including one where the Prime Minister, Putin, Xi, Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were seen walking together inside the venue.
In another picture, Modi was seen engaged in an animated discussion with Putin, Xi and President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, while in a photograph, the prime minister and the Russian leader were seen going together, smiling broadly, flanked by security personnel and translators.
India is hosting the BRICS Summit from September 12-13, and it is being attended by leaders of 11 member countries and 10 partner countries, as well as some international organisations.
The latest picture of three leaders sharing a light moment comes amid tensions over the wars in West Asia and Ukraine.
Prime Minister Modi also welcomed BRICS leaders against a backdrop featuring Tamil Nadu’s iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of the Char Dham shrines where Lord Ram is believed to have performed puja after his victory over demon king Ravana.
The leaders shook hands and posed for pictures against the backdrop featuring the iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. At Bharat Mandapam, where the 18th BRICS summit is underway, the prime minister received the leaders of BRICS nations, including Putin, Jinping and Pezeshkian.
India, China and Russia were among the four founding members of BRIC, along with Brazil, when the grouping took shape in 2006. South Africa was invited to join in 2010 and attended its first summit as a member in 2011, giving BRICS the name it still uses today.
Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday and held bilateral talks with Modi. During the meeting, Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict and raised the safety of Indian seafarers. Xi, meanwhile, is visiting India for the first time in seven years.
A day earlier, a photograph of the Prime Minister holding hands with the Iranian President went viral. It drew attention amid the conflict involving Iran, which has disrupted energy supplies and maritime trade.
As he did during his talks with Putin, PM Modi called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict in West Asia during his meeting with the Iranian President.
The two photographs capture India’s continued focus on a non-aligned foreign policy in an increasingly fractured world.
New Delhi has maintained that it stands for peace and dialogue while avoiding alignment with rival geopolitical camps, an approach that also informs its stewardship of the BRICS Summit.