Modi arrives in Brazil to attend BRICS summit

Fortaleza (Brazil): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Fortaleza on Monday to attend a summit meeting of the BRICS nations that will address regional crises and security threats to restore a climate of peace while advancing global economic stability.

Modi was received at the airport by chief coordinator of BRICS and the Brazilian Foreign Ministry Louise Lopes and India's Ambassador to Brazil Ashok Tomar.

Ahead of the BRICS Summit on Tuesday in this north eastern coastal city, Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines to discuss the issues relating to the BRICS Development Bank.

Modi left Berlin on Monday morning for Fortaleza after an overnight stopover.

Usually, Indian Prime Ministers transit through Frankfurt for further journeys across the Atlantic.

Berlin was preferred to Frankfurt for a transit halt on Germany's request for a possible bilateral meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel but she flew to Brazil to watch the FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina.

In a departure statement in New Delhi, Modi said that India looks forward to the BRICS initiative for setting up the Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement.

Modi is visiting Brazil at the invitation of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to attend the Sixth BRICS Summit being held in Fortaleza and Brasilia on 15-16 July.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Minister of State for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Adviser A K Doval and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh.