Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a series of bilateral meetings on Monday with world leaders on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meetings underscored India’s commitment to strengthening global partnerships and cooperation.
During his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the summit, the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations since Ibrahim’s state visit to India in August 2024. They discussed trade and investment, defence, education, healthcare, tourism, and people-to-people contacts.
Modi thanked Ibrahim for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, emphasising the need for global cooperation against terrorism.
“We reviewed the ground covered in our bilateral relations, including the progress made since PM Ibrahim’s visit to India last year. Futuristic sectors like IT, renewable energy, and infrastructure are those where bilateral ties are growing strongly,” PM Modi said on X asserting: “Also discussed how to improve investment and trade relations between our nations.”
The two leaders also explored cooperation in the multilateral arena and regional security, with Modi congratulating Malaysia on its successful stewardship of ASEAN. They welcomed the prospect of strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
PM Modi also met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, discussing bilateral ties in economic cooperation, development partnership, fintech, capacity building, science and technology, disaster management, and healthcare.
Diaz-Canel expressed interest in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and UPI, while Modi appreciated Cuba’s recognition of Ayurveda and offered support for integrating it into Cuba’s public health system.
“It was wonderful to meet President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez of Cuba. In our talks, we covered a wide range of subjects. Economic relations between our nations have a lot of potential to grow in the coming times,” PM Modi stated on his handle X.
Additionally, PM Modi held a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh, discussing ways to enhance bilateral cooperation. “Had a good conversation with PM Phạm Minh Chinh of Vietnam on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Brazil,” PM Modi shared.
The bilateral meetings highlight India’s proactive engagement with global partners, reinforcing its commitment to collaborative growth and development.