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Context

• The Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi participated in the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting hosted by the People’s Republic of China through a video conference with participation from all BRICS Member Nations.

BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting

• In the meeting the discussion was held on the advancement and expansion of cultural activities amongst BRICS countries under the theme Establishing a Cultural Partnership Featuring Inclusiveness and Mutual Learning among BRICS.
• The Ministers adopted the BRICS Action Plan 2022-2026 to further strengthen the cultural cooperation and implement the BRICS Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015.
• Meenakshi Lekhi has presented India’s perspective and brought forward the following points in her address:
  • India with its diverse cultural expression ensures to provide a platform for the BRICS countries to familiarize cultural values through exchange programmes/activities in the field of music, theatre, puppetry, various tribal art forms and dance forms especially classical and folk.
  • The crucial role of digital technologies in overcoming the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic restricting physical movements during the last two and half years and the importance of virtual channels in getting life going on all fronts, including culture.
  • India’s priorities are to digitize valuable collections in the field of cultural heritage and present them in open information space as it provides long-term storage and provision of wider access to the cultural content stored in cultural institutions such as museums and libraries. Through virtual exhibitions of BRICS Countries, the rich cultural heritage of BRICS countries can be explored.
  • India believes in the diversity of cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue. It strongly advocates a sustainable and resilient environment integrating heritage and traditional knowledge into innovative and culture-based solutions to environmental concerns.
  • The art of India is an amalgam of its rich legacy and its modern history. It has undoubtedly placed India as an active and creative entity which is an integral part of the art world today.
  • In light of today’s environmental, social and economic challenges, working towards inclusive, and culturally sensitive development paradigms is of utmost importance. Need of the hour is a roadmap which should integrate cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries and an understanding of the innate imagination and collective intelligence of people

About BRICS

• BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, by the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
• The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation and focused on issues such as reform of the global financial architecture.
• South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. South Africa subsequently attended the Third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in March 2011.
• The BRICS seeks to deepen, broaden and intensify cooperation within the grouping and among the individual countries for more sustainable, equitable and mutually beneficial development.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1828042

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