Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New Delhi during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Summit.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the two-day gathering of BRICS foreign ministers and senior representatives being hosted in the national capital from May 14 to May 15. The Prime Minister also joined the visiting delegates for the official BRICS family photograph, attended by ministers and representatives from member and partner nations.
Jaishankar welcomes foreign ministers
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received several foreign ministers and senior diplomats at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the summit. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was among the first leaders welcomed by Jaishankar ahead of the formal discussions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also arrived at the venue for the high-level meeting.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong represented Beijing at the event in place of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who remained in Beijing during the visit of US President Donald Trump to China.
Participation from BRICS and partner nations
Jaishankar also welcomed Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, and Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Hessebon.
Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State in the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also attended the summit. Ahead of the meeting, Jaishankar held talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in New Delhi.
The gathering has brought together foreign ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries and observer nations for discussions on global and regional issues.
India begins BRICS chairship
New Delhi has become a major centre for diplomatic engagement as India officially began its BRICS chairmanship on January 1, taking over the presidency of the bloc from Brazil. This is the fourth time India is leading BRICS, after previously hosting summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The foreign ministers’ meeting is considered an important step in shaping the agenda for India’s 2026 BRICS presidency and strengthening cooperation within the expanded grouping.
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