India, Iran hold talks on bilateral, regional issues ahead of BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

India and Iran held talks on “bilateral and regional issues”, including recent regional developments in New Delhi on Wednesday, a day ahead of the high-stakes two-day BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

India, Iran hold talks on bilateral, regional issues ahead of BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

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India and Iran held talks on “bilateral and regional issues”, including recent regional developments in New Delhi on Wednesday, a day ahead of the high-stakes two-day BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Amid the West Asia crisis, India is hosting a key BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday and Friday at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital where discussions will be on global and regional issues of mutual interest.

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External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will chair the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on May 14-15.

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Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sibi George, held talks with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi in New Delhi on Wednesday with discussions focussed on bilateral and regional issues, including recent regional developments.

Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali and other officials were also present during the meeting.

“Secretary (West) Sibi George received Dr. Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs of Iran. Discussions focused on bilateral and regional issues, including recent developments,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X after the meeting.

According to sources from Iran, Gharibabadi is likely to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono arrived in New Delhi early on Wednesday for the Meeting.

In a post on X, Jaiswal said, “A warm welcome to Foreign Minister Sugiono of Indonesia on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.”

Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed has also arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to attend the Summit.

“Delighted to welcome Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” the MEA spokesperson posted on X while extending a warm welcome to him.

Uzbekistan Deputy Foreign Minister Aloyev Bakhromjon Joraboevich landed in New Delhi, signalling the deepening engagement between the two nations within the expanded BRICS framework.

In a post on X, the MEA spokesperson said, “Warm greetings to the Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Aloyev Bakhromjon Joraboevich of Uzbekistan as he arrives in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.”

Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzahan Ashikbayev has also arrived in the national capital to participate in the Meeting.

“Warm greetings to First Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Yerzahan Ashikbayev of Kazakhstan on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” the MEA spokesperson said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Brazil Mauro Vieira has also arrived in India for the Meeting.

Jaiswal in a post on X said, “Warm welcome to the Foreign Minister Mr. Mauro Vieira of Brazil, as he arrives in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil noted in a post on X, “After completing the two-day itinerary in Central Asia, Minister Mauro Vieira landed in New Delhi to take part in the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting.”

Addressing a weekly media briefing on Tuesday, the MEA spokesperson said that BRICS Foreign Ministers and heads of delegations from member and partner countries will participate in the meeting and also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“India will host the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on 14th and 15th May 2026. The meeting will be chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. BRICS Foreign Ministers and heads of delegations from member and partner countries will participate in the meeting. They will also call on honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of BRICS member countries will exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest,” said Jaiswal.

“On the second day, BRICS members and partner countries will participate in a session, themed BRICS at 20 Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. This will be followed by a session on the reforms of global governance and multilateral system. The BRICS Foreign Ministers held their last meeting on the margins of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September 2025. The meeting was chaired by India in its capacity as the incoming chair for BRICS 2026,” he added.

India holds the BRICS chair in 2026 guided by the theme of ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.

BRIC was formalised at the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006. The inaugural BRIC Summit was convened in Russia’s Yekaterinburg in 2009. It was agreed to expand BRIC into BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in 2010. South Africa attended the third BRICS Summit in 2011.

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