The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today refused to divulge what Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak at the upcoming BRICS Summit, a day after host China said India's concerns over Pakistan's counter-terrorism record are not an "appropriate topic" to be discussed at the forum.
Replying to questions on the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Modi and Chinses President Xi Jinping, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, only said it is a common practice to have such meetings on the sidelines of multilateral forums.
At the same time, Kumar added that he was not in a position to share timings and details of bilateral meetings the Prime Minister will have on the sidelines of the summit.
Asked about China's comment yesterday that it will not be appropriate to discuss Pakistan's counter-terrorism records at the BRICS Summit at Xiamen, the spokesperson said he cannot preempt what Modi will say during his interventions at the restricted and plenary sessions of the summit.
Kumar said India's position on terrorism has been very clear and it has been raising the issue at various multilateral forums.
"We noticed that India, when it comes to Pakistan's counter-terrorism, has some concerns. I don't think this is an appropriate topic to be discussed at BRICS Summit," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had told a media briefing in Beijing yesterday.
