As BRICS partners, India and Iran working for shared progress, prosperity: MEA as Iran President arrives for 18th summit

In a post on X, the MEA said that Minister of State for the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, received the Iranian President at the airport.

"Pleased to welcome President of Iran, Dr Pezeshkian at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He was warmly received by MoS Shantanu Thakur at the airport. India and Iran share civilizational ties, marked by robust cultural and people-to-people bonds. As BRICS partners, the two countries are working to contribute to shared progress and prosperity," MEA said in its post.

Pezeshkian is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.

Speaking ahead of his departure from Tehran, the Iranian President said, "The goal of BRICS is to confront unilateralism, and the slogan of the current summit is also within this framework, and we hope to get closer to this goal day by day. Of course, we know that economic issues are complex and we need new approaches to reduce totalitarianism and unilateralism in the world."

According to Iranian media ISNA, before travelling to India, Pezeshkian, referring to the importance of the BRICS summit, said, "Independence, solidarity, sustainability, resistance, and innovation are the slogans of the summit, and economic, financial, industrial, and trade issues will be discussed at this summit."

"A special bank has been formed within the BRICS framework, and we are going to see investment from countries so that interactions between countries and members can be carried out without dependence on the dollar, thus reducing America's totalitarianism with the dollar," he added.

The Iranian President had earlier met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. He is now set to continue his engagements in New Delhi with a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister.

Pezeshkian also highlighted the longstanding relationship between Iran and India and the scope for expanding areas of common interest.

"Our presence at this summit is a good opportunity to meet and discuss with various officials, including those from China, Russia, Brazil, India, and other countries," he said.

Reiterating India's readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO, Prime Minister Modi, during his meeting with the Iranian President in Bishkek, expressed New Delhi's resolve to "expand and diversify" bilateral trade channels with Iran, emphasising the country's dedication to deepening historic ties across multiple domains.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. India's Chairship is guided by the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.

BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

Collectively, the BRICS members account for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade, according to background information on India's 2026 Chairship.

India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.

For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. (ANI)