Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of India's role in this group at the BRICS summit held last week in New Delhi. While India, as the G20 president in 2023, faced high expectations, it now conveys similar messages in BRICS about the power of gathering and creating consensus for public interests.
India's Cautious Strategy
ASEAN members in BRICS cautiously indicate that they do not take sides against the West. This approach aligns with India and allows Southeast Asian countries to participate in BRICS without feeling closer to China or Russia. By emphasizing comprehensive multilateralism, India has shaped its brand of global South movements, which has gained credibility in Southeast Asia.
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Engagement with the West and Impact on Regional Relations
The BRICS declaration in New Delhi emphasized the key role of the G20 as the most important global economic cooperation forum, highlighting the importance of engagement with developed and emerging economies. The fact that India has practical relations with the West, including frameworks like Quad and collaborations with the European Union, indicates that India seeks to maintain balance in its relations with both Western and Asian countries.
The presence of the Philippines as the ASEAN chair at the BRICS summit reflects the country's desire to maintain strong ties with the United States. The Philippines, as a treaty ally of the U.S. and having grown closer to the country in recent years, does not view its participation in the BRICS summit as a sign of diminishing relations with the U.S. and China.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also emphasized the importance of India's role in BRICS, indicating that bilateral relations could strengthen the dynamics of this group. This reality reflects the special value Malaysia places on its relations with India.
India's approach to BRICS has a Southeast Asian flavor - calm and calculated. New Delhi has strengthened its brand of global South movements, which will influence how ASEAN interacts with BRICS in the long term.
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