Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 13th BRICS Summit virtually yesterday. The theme of the Summit, chosen by India, was, BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus. Highlighting the leading role that BRICS countries can play in the post-COVID global recovery, Prime Minister called for enhanced BRICS cooperation under the motto of 'Build-back Resiliently, Innovatively, Credibly and Sustainably'.<br />''<br />''Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the cooperation received from BRICS partners during India's Chairship this year, which allowed the achievement of several new initiatives.<br />''<br />''Elaborating on these themes, Prime Minister stressed the need for accelerating 'build-back' by enhancing speed and accessibility of vaccination, creating 'resilience' by diversifying pharma and vaccine production capacities beyond the developed world, fostering 'innovation' by creatively using digital tools for public good, ensuring reform of multilateral institutions to enhance their 'credibility', and promoting 'sustainable' development by articulating a common BRICS voice on environmental and climate issues.<br />''<br />''BRICS leaders have said that Afghanistan should not become a sanctuary for terror groups to attack other countries. India's BRICS Sherpa and Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Bhattacharya said, there was a very strong consensus that Afghanistan should not become a reason for problems in the neighbourhood. The BRICS leaders called for peace and stability in Afghanistan.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The meeting was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro. </span><br />