Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a state dinner for government leaders and other officials who had arrived in the coastal state of Goa to attend a meeting of the five BRICS emerging market countries.
Modi's guests at Saturday's dinner included presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China, Michel Temer of Brazil and Jacob Zuma of South Africa, as well as ministers and officials from the five BRICS countries.
After a gruelling day of meetings and media interactions, BRICS leaders wound down their busy Saturday and turned up for dinner, dressed impeccably in Indian wear of crisp kurtas with a cotton jacket, a perfect attire for a balmy Goan evening.
The leaders of the BRICS countries - South African President Jacob Zuma, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Michel Temer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known for his sharp dress sense, were scheduled to have an informal dinner outside the BRICS Dome at the Hotel Taj Exotica here.
Modi himself tweeted a photograph of the five leaders. "All the presidents at #BRICS2016 are wearing what many people call an Indian jacket," he posted.
The dinner was set out against the backdrop of the beautiful Cavelossim beach in south Goa, nearly 55 kms from Panaji, where the heads of state have turned out wearing their colourful Indian jackets, ahead of the BRICS summit which formally kicked off on Sunday.
(With agency input)
