Chennai: India has assumed the BRICS (Brazil Russia India China South Africa) Chairmanship for 2021 and is set to hold this years summit. On 19 February External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched Indias BRICS 2021 website at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. Asked about India assuming the BRICS Chairmanship this year Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Beijing backs New Delhi in hosting the summit. “The BRICS is a cooperation mechanism with global influence consisting of emerging economies and developing countries. In recent years it has seen greater solidarity and deeper practical cooperation and greater influence” Wang said. BRICS is now a positive stable and constructive force in international affairs he said adding that China attaches importance to this mechanism. “We are committed to deepening strategic partnership within it to consolidate solidarity and cooperation” Wang said. “We support India hosting this years meeting and will work with it and other members to strengthen communication dialogue and consolidate the three-pillar cooperation expand BRICS plus cooperation and work for greater progress under BRICS and also help the world to defeat Covid-19 resume economic growth and improve global governance” he said. Wang however did not specify whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the summit expected to be held later this year. Xi has attended all the annual summits of the five-member bloc in the past including the one last year hosted by Russia in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part. Chinas announcement backing India to host the BRICS summit came as the armies of the two countries began disengagement of troops locked in over eight-month-long standoff in eastern Ladakh. Both countries have reached a mutual agreement for disengagement of troops from the most contentious area of North and South Pangong Lake.

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