Reacting to India’s non-participation in the “BRICS Naval Exercise”, MEA Randhir Jaiswal clarified that it was not a regular or institutionalized BRICS activity and that all BRICS members did not participate.
“We clarify that the exercise in question was solely a South African initiative involving some BRICS members. It was not a regular or institutionalized BRICS activity, nor was it attended by all BRICS members. India has not participated in such activities in the past. The regular exercise that India is a part of in this context is the IBSAMAR naval exercise, which brings together the navies of India, Brazil and IAMAR, which was last held in October 2024 in South Africa.”
India and Brazil – both BRICS members opted out of the exercise.
What is the “BRICS Naval Exercise”?
Joint naval exercises involving several members of the BRICS bloc, including China, Russia and Iran, have kicked off off the South African coast, with South Africa describing the maneuvers as a vital response to rising maritime tensions around the world, Al Jazeera reported.
(This is a developing story. Keep checking back for more updates)