PM meets Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian and other leaders; New Delhi Declaration gets unanimous BRICS approval
New Delhi, September 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with leaders from at least 15 countries during the three-day BRICS Summit in New Delhi, combining a packed diplomatic schedule with the main proceedings of the grouping’s annual meeting.
Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 11 and discussed cooperation in the economic, defence and energy sectors, besides the movement of workers. Modi also reiterated India’s position that the Ukraine conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Later, Modi held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, calling for a resolution to the West Asia conflict through dialogue and stressing the need to keep navigation routes open and ensure the safety of seafarers. He also met UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
On the second day, Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Chinese leader’s first India visit in nearly seven years. India stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border remained essential for advancing bilateral ties, while both sides noted steady progress in relations.
Modi also met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, UAE Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vietnam’s Le Minh Hung.
On the summit’s final day, he held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye. He also engaged with the leadership of Uganda and Nigeria.
Beyond the bilaterals, Modi chaired the BRICS Business Forum and proposed the 45-page New Delhi Declaration, which was unanimously approved by members.
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