From Moscow ties to West Asia peace: PM Modis BRICS day marked by Putin, Pezeshkian meetings

PM Modi held separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, met United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres and addressed the BRICS Business Forum, making for a day of intensive diplomacy as India hosts the grouping's summit under its 2026 chairship.

The meeting with Putin was the second between the two leaders this year. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders had earlier met on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek in August.

The leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to-people domains, the MEA said.

The discussions also included India's BRICS chairship and India-Russia engagement in the multilateral sphere, besides key regional and global issues, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.

According to the MEA, these conflicts have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.

PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward in resolving conflicts and that India stood ready to assist in peace efforts.

The two leaders also visited the International Industrial Trade Fair "INNOPROM India", being held in India for the first time from September 9-11, and interacted with participants.

In a post on X, the MEA said the exhibition brought together more than 130 Indian and Russian companies, with representatives from industry participating in efforts to advance trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

PM Modi, in a post on X, described the event as a reflection of the growing depth of India-Russia business engagement.

"The India-Russia economic partnership continues to gather momentum. In Delhi, President Putin and I participated in INNOPROM, bringing together several companies from both countries. It reflects the growing depth of our business engagement," he said in his post.

In another post, PM Modi said the two leaders discussed closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030, as well as cooperation in infrastructure, energy, technology, defence and culture.

"Delighted to meet President Putin in Delhi, less than two weeks after our meeting in Bishkek. During todays meeting we talked about: Closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030. Cooperation in areas like infrastructure, energy, technology, defence, culture and more. Indias efforts during our BRICS Presidency aimed at furthering the welfare of our planet," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, carrying the wisdom of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to remain engaged to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, which the MEA said continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience amid geopolitical uncertainties.

President Putin also invited PM Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi accepted the invitation, with the dates to be decided through diplomatic channels.

PM Modi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, continuing discussions from their meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

The MEA said the two leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship, with PM Modi thanking Iran for its regular, high-level participation in BRICS-related meetings despite challenging circumstances.

The Prime Minister also thanked Pezeshkian for participating in the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum and noted the potential of BRICS to build resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries of the Global South.

The two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia. PM Modi reiterated India's consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

He also underscored the need for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region, safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce and the safety and well-being of seafarers, according to the MEA.

In a post on X, PM Modi described the meeting as a continuation of the productive discussions held in Bishkek.

"From Bishkek to Delhi, the productive discussions continue. Happy to have met Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran. This visit is more special because it is his first visit to India. We talked about the India-Iran friendship. We believe that we should move forward with a long-term and win-win strategy. The prevailing situation in the region was also discussed. India remains steadfast in its commitment to the pursuit of enduring peace," the Prime Minister said.

The two leaders also discussed Iran's participation in BRICS, with the Prime Minister appreciating continued cooperation between the two sides on issues of mutual interest in multilateral organisations, including BRICS.

Later, PM Modi also held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres on the sidelines of the summit.

According to the MEA, Guterres congratulated PM Modi for India's chairship of BRICS for the fourth time.

The two leaders underscored the significance of multipolarity and the need to reform multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council, to reflect contemporary realities.

Their discussions covered ongoing conflicts and freedom of navigation, sustainable development, human-centric AI, progress in renewable energy and global food security.

"Had a wonderful meeting with UN Secretary-General Mr. Antnio Guterres. Discussed multiple subjects including the ground covered in Indias BRICS Presidency, Indias commitment to strengthening multilateralism and the urgent need for UN reforms," PM Modi said in a post on X.

At the BRICS Business Forum, PM Modi highlighted the expanding economic weight of the grouping and called for translating its collective strength into global solutions.

The MEA said Putin, Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira also participated in the event.

According to the MEA, PM Modi highlighted that over the last 20 years, while global GDP has increased 2.5 times, the GDP of BRICS countries has grown by 4.5 times. He also underlined that the collective strength of BRICS should be leveraged to find global solutions.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, "50% of humanity and 40% of global GDP. Naturally, BRICS matters!"

He highlighted India's approach of Make in India, Innovate with India, Scale for the World, while calling for an action-oriented agenda for the next decade.

"My other messagelets make the next decade about action. Let us: Remove the top 10 trade barriers. Help 100 BRICS startups scale across markets every year. Build 1,000 new business partnerships. Let BRICS grow. Let BRICS help the world grow," PM Modi said.

The BRICS Business Forum is the flagship private sector platform of the grouping, bringing together business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to advance cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and sustainable economic growth.

As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit, the Forum reflects the grouping's focus on strengthening economic partnerships, creating jobs, particularly for youth, building resilient value chains and fostering inclusive growth.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 under its 2026 chairship, guided by the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

BRICS currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. India's chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures, with New Delhi seeking to translate the expanded grouping into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes. (ANI)