PM Narendra Modi lauds Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's leadership

BRISBANE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised Dilma Rousseff for her "visionary" leadership of the BRICS grouping and congratulated the Brazilian President on her re-election.

"I wish to join my other colleagues and congratulate President Dilma Rousseff on her re-election as the President of Brazil," Modi said in his opening remarks at the BRICS Leaders' meet here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"From Brazil to Brisbane, it has been most successful journey under your leadership. Our group will continue to benefit from your visionary leadership," he said.

Rousseff hosted today's meeting of BRICS nations, who are also members of the G20.

Brazil also hosted the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortazela in July. The leaders reached a landmark agreement on establishing the BRICS Development Bank and reserve currency pool.

66-year-old Rousseff, the first woman president of the world's seventh-largest economy, had a narrow margin of victory with 51.6 per cent of the vote to 48.4 per cent of business favourite Aecio Neves in the run-off election last month.