Brasilia/New Delhi, July 8 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Brasilia today, marking the beginning of his official state visit to Brazil after concluding the BRICS summit.
The Prime Minister was warmly welcomed at the airport by Brazil's Defence Minister José Múcio Monteiro Filho.
PM Modi’s visit is the first bilateral visit to the country by an Indian prime minister in nearly six decades.
The PM received a warm welcome from the Batala Mundo band, which performed a spirited Samba Reggae composition displaying the rich cultural heritage of Brazil.
“At Brasília airport, the band Batala Mundo played some wonderful compositions. Their work is a global effort to promote Afro-Brazilian percussion, particularly samba-reggae, which originates from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil,” PM Modi posted on X.
“I landed in Brasília a short while ago. The Indian community welcomed me in a memorable way, once again highlighting the passion of our diaspora and how much they remain connected to their roots,” PM Modi posted on X.
The performance was a prelude to his visit, following his participation in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7.
The PM's visit to Brazil follows an invitation from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also took to X to highlight the significance of the visit. "Taking new strides in the steadfast India-Brazil partnership. PM @narendramodi has landed in Brasilia for his state visit. He was warmly received by José Múcio Monteiro Filho, Brazil’s Minister of Defence, at the airport. The traditional Samba Reggae performance added a musical touch to this gracious welcome."
The warm reception in Brasilia underscores the strengthening of ties between India and Brazil, with both nations looking forward to enhancing their cooperation in various sectors.
The prime minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the Galeao International Airport. This is the fourth leg of his five-nation visit.
"Landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I will take part in the BRICS Summit and later go to their capital, Brasília, for a state visit on the invitation of President Lula. Hoping for a productive round of meetings and interactions during this visit", PM Modi said in a post on X.
The Prime Minister arrived in Brazil from Argentina, where he held wide-ranging talks with President Javier Milei and agreed to diversify two-way trade and ramp up cooperation in defence, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, energy, and mining sectors.
BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa -- has been expanded with five additional members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Leaders of the BRICS nations issued a strong condemnation of the April 22 terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead.
In a joint declaration following the summit in Rio de Janeiro, the leaders labelled the attack "criminal and unjustifiable" and called for united global action to root out terrorism in all its forms.
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