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BRICS an "influential voice" in international discourse: Modi From K J M Varma Hangzhou, Sep 4 (PTI) Describing BRICS as "an influentialvoice" in international discourse, Prime Minister NarendraModi today said it was the grouping’s shared responsibility toshape the global agenda and help developing nations achievetheir objectives. Leading from the chair, Modi addressed the BRICS LeadersMeeting here, before the 8th annual Summit in Goa from October15-16. "We, as BRICS, are an influential voice in internationaldiscourse. It is, therefore, our shared responsibility toshape the international agenda," he said in this picturesqueeastern Chinese city. "Our shared responsibility to shape international agendain manner that helps developing nations achieve theirobjectives," he added. BRICS brings together five major emerging economies,comprising 43 per cent of the world population, having 37 percent of the world GDP and 17 per cent share in the worldtrade. Modi said that as chair of BRICS, "’Building Responsive,Inclusive and Collective Solutions’ is the theme we havechosen which mirrors central priorities at G20 Summit". "We’ve taken BRICS out of capitals to involve people fromall walks of life. It will be an opportunity to deepen ourties and with BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries. The four other leaders who participated in the meeting ofthe five-member bloc included Brazilian President MichelTemer, Chinese President Xi Jinping – with whom Modi heldbilateral talks earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin andSouth African President Jacob Zuma. "Our summit next month would not only be an opportunityto deepen ties with ourselves, we will also interact withIndia’s neighbouring countries of BIMSTEC – Nepal, Bhutan,Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, who have beeninvited for the outreach summit. We welcome you all to Goanext month," Modi said while concluding his brief address. As a formal grouping, BRIC started after the meeting ofthe Leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg onthe margins of G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalised during the 1st meeting ofBRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of UN General Assemblyin New York in 2006. The 1st BRIC Summit was held inYekaterinburg, Russia, on June 16, 2009. BRIC was expanded into BRICS with the inclusion of SouthAfrica at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York inSeptember 2010. Accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rdBRICS Summit in Sanya, China in April 2011. PTI SAI DPB AKJAKJ