Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP photo)

JOHANNESBURG/DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reaffirmed India's commitment to multilateralism, international trade and rules-based world order as he participated in the Brics Summit .

Modi also focused on the issue of global terrorism and on the need for states to ensure that no terrorist activity was perpetrated from their soil. However, missing from the Johannesburg Declaration was the specific mention of terror groups like LeT, JeM, Taliban and the Islamic State terror group. These groups were mentioned in the Brics Xiamen Declaration last year.

The fact that LeT and JeM were named was seen as a foreign policy success for India. In the 2016 Brics Goa summit, China had blocked the mention of these terror groups.

Modi presented the country statement of India at the Brics leaders' closed session. "Celebrating a decade towards peace, harmony and shared development and prosperity! PM @narendramodi joins fellow #BRICS leaders at the group photo at Sandton International Convention Centre at the formal beginning of the Summit," Raveesh Kumar, the MEA spokesperson tweeted. "The prime minister reaffirmed India's commitment to multilateralism, international trade and rules-based world order," he said.

