BRICS ‘not against anyone,’ Putin says as summit opens

BRICS members have reached a consensus on a joint statement following negotiations which went on until 4:00 AM, sources say. The document is expected to be issued later on Saturday.

India led consultations to bridge differences on several contentious issues, including amid divergent positions among Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and heightened tensions in West Asia, the sources said.

Modi also met with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, hailing the “new momentum” in the two countries’ strategic partnership.

Modi said cooperation is expanding into semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy, and infrastructure, alongside growing defense ties and investment.

“Maritime neighbors, close partners and a friendship powered by our people,” Modi wrote on X.

Modi has met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

It is Le’s first BRICS Summit since taking office in April and Vietnam’s second as a partner country. The two sides have been expanding ties in trade, defense, technology, and critical minerals, with bilateral trade targeted at $25 billion by 2030.

One guest at the BRICS Summit appeared to be particularly thrilled to catch a glimpse of Vladimir Putin.

A video from New Delhi posted online shows a woman filming the Russian president as he walks past at the ITC Maurya hotel – before turning the camera on herself and beaming with delight.

Some reactions need no translation.

China wants relations with India approached from a “strategic height and long-term perspective,” the Chinese ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said ahead of talks between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

Xu called for greater communication and cooperation, proper handling of differences, and for the two countries to be “friends enjoying good-neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed.”

The meeting will be the third between Xi and Modi in as many years, following talks in Kazan and Tianjin. 

Indian President Droupadi Murmu has met with her Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

The meeting follows Pezeshkian’s talks with Modi on Friday, when the two discussed bilateral ties and the situation in West Asia. Modi called for dialogue and diplomacy, as well as safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce.

BRICS members agree on strengthening national currencies and expanding their use in mutual trade, but remain divided over a single currency, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi.

“There are different opinions” within BRICS, Araghchi told reporters. “All members of the group believe that national currencies should be strengthened and trade between member states should be conducted in national currencies.”

A common BRICS currency, however, “is still under consideration,” he added.

Modi also welcomed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks on the sidelines of the gathering.

The two discussed strengthening the India-UAE strategic partnership, including cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, and defense, as well as regional and global developments.

Khaled is leading the UAE delegation at the summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE joined BRICS as a full member in 2024.

Modi has met with Ethiopia’s Abiy on the sidelines of the summit as well, hailing his first visit to India as taking an “old friendship into new frontiers.”

In a post on X, Modi said the talks covered defense, investment, critical minerals, clean energy, healthcare, and capacity building, with the two sides pledging to work on strengthening India-Africa ties and “amplify the voice of the Global South.”