New Delhi: The likelihood of a bilateral encounter between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa remains uncertain, according to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. He mentioned that the Prime Minister's agenda is still in the process of being finalized.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming trips to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra held a dedicated press briefing and conveyed, "As I noted in my remarks, South Africa, the host country, has extended invitations to numerous guest countries, in addition to the BRICS member nations that will be in attendance."

"The Prime Minister's schedule for bilateral meetings with the leaders present in South Africa is still being developed," Kwatra explained.

Prime Minister Modi is set to depart for the BRICS Summit tomorrow morning, where he will join leaders from Brazil, China, and South Africa in Johannesburg.

"Tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister will leave for Johannesburg to participate in the 15th BRICS Summit, commencing tomorrow and concluding on the 24th of August...," the Foreign Secretary stated during the dedicated press briefing.

It was in November of the previous year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged pleasantries during the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia. This interaction occurred amidst the backdrop of the standoff between China's People's Liberation Army and the Indian Army in eastern Ladakh in April 2020.

The India-China relationship has been strained over the past three years, with tensions along the borders leading to deteriorating relations at various levels. Both sides have engaged in 19 rounds of discussions to address the boundary issues in Eastern Ladakh since the Chinese incursion in 2020.

Regarding this year's BRICS Summit, which is under the presidency of South Africa, Foreign Secretary Kwatra highlighted that a business delegation from India is also journeying to South Africa to participate in the Business Tracks meetings.

"For the 15th BRICS Summit, a business delegation from India is also travelling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings and also the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum. After completing his engagements in Johannesburg, the Prime Minister will travel to Greece for an official visit on 25th August at the invitation of the Greek Prime Minister," Kwatra concluded.

This year's BRICS Summit, hosted by South Africa, marks the first in-person summit since 2019 and is taking place in Johannesburg.