Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], April 26 (ANI): BRICS Sherpa Secretary (ER) Dammu Ravi participated in the BRICS Sherpas Meeting being held in Rio de Janeiro. During the meeting, the participants discussed multilateralism, sustainable development, and the enhancement of intra-BRICS cooperation.

In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, 'BRICS Sherpa Secretary (ER) Dammu Ravi participated in the #BRICS Sherpas' Meeting being held in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting featured constructive discussions on multilateralism, sustainable development and enhancing intra-BRICS cooperation.'

Earlier on March 25, the 10th BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue concluded in Brasilia, convening policy planners from the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with senior representatives from the newly expanded BRICS membership, covering pressing global geopolitical issues and regional developments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a press release.

Hosted by Brazil's current BRICS President, the two-day event from March 24-25 laid the groundwork for the upcoming BRICS Summit later this year. The Indian delegation was led by Raghuram S, the Joint Secretary of Policy Planning and Research of the MEA.

According to the release, the dialogue offered a platform to assess the bloc's institutional evolution following its recent expansion and key discussions centred on priorities such as global health cooperation, international trade and financial dynamics, climate action, artificial intelligence governance, and reforms to multilateral peace and security frameworks.

Brazil's hosting of the dialogue underscores its leadership in steering BRICS toward addressing contemporary challenges and fostering collaboration among member states.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), BRICS brings together eleven major emerging economies, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP, and around 26 per cent of global trade.

As a formal grouping, BRIC started after the meeting of the leaders of Russia, India, and China in St Petersburg, which was held on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalized during the 1st meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of UNGA in New York in 2006.

The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. 4. At the BRIC Foreign Ministers' meeting in New York in 2010, it was agreed to expand BRIC into BRICS, with South Africa included.

Accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya in 2011. BRICS was further expanded in 2024, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE becoming full members on 1 January 2024.

In January 2025, Indonesia joined the BRICS as a full member while Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan were inducted as partner countries of the BRICS. (ANI)