A number of foreign leaders and senior officials have arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in the national capital last night. He was received at the airport by Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey.
President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye arrived in New Delhi to represent the African Union at the Summit. He was received by Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma. The visit underscores India’s engagement with the African Union in advancing shared priorities of the Global South.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have also arrived in India. They were received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. The External Affairs Ministry said the Crown Prince’s visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on trade and energy security. It also said India and Malaysia share close and longstanding ties, with growing cooperation in trade, investment, the digital economy, defence and security.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali arrived last evening. They were received by Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth. India and Egypt share deep bonds of friendship, while India and Ethiopia have a Strategic Partnership and are working together to advance cooperation among BRICS countries.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was received by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also arrived last evening. He was received by Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and Iran share deep civilisational ties, marked by strong cultural and people-to-people bonds. He added that, as BRICS partners, the two countries are working together towards shared progress and prosperity.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, also arrived last evening.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in the national capital. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and Nigeria share close and longstanding ties, underpinned by strong people-to-people connections. He added that the visit will further strengthen the multifaceted partnership between the two countries.
BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS partner countries are: Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said leaders from across the world are gathering in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, expressing confidence that the high-level meeting will witness positive and meaningful discussions on various issues with the welfare of the world in mind.
