Manmohan, Hu likely to grab the limelight at BRICS meet

Preparing to depart for the BRICS summit in the Chinese resort town of Sanya, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he was looking forward to meeting China's president Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the meet.

"During my stay in Sanya I look forward to my meeting with President Hu Jintao. The India-China relationship is a key relationship which has now acquired global significance," he said.

"I will also have bilateral meetings with Presidents of Russia, Brazil and South Africa. Our relations with these countries are very warm and substantive," he added.

The informal BRICS grouping - comprising the five fast-developing nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is acquiring growing economic clout, particularly in the wake of the global downturn, which has left the advanced economies reeling.

South Africa will participate in the group for the first time, and its president Jacob Zuma has expressed satisfaction over his country being included.

After spending three days in China, Prime Minister Singh will head for his first visit to the Kazakh capital of Astana to hold bilateral talks with Kazakhstan's newly-elected President Nursultan Nazarbaev.