Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold 15 bilateral meetings with leaders of BRICS and partner countries between September 11 and 13, as India hosts the summit in New Delhi.
The schedule released by
the Ministry of External Affairs includes meetings with the leaders of Russia, Iran, China, South Africa and Egypt, among others.
The packed bilateral schedule comes at a particularly significant time for India’s foreign policy, with the Iran war, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, the evolving India-China relationship and the wider geopolitical contest involving the US, Russia and China all forming an important backdrop to the BRICS summit.
September 11: Putin, Pezeshkian And Guterres
PM Modi’s first bilateral meeting on September 11 will be with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 3.30pm at Bharat Mandapam. The meeting comes as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to shape Moscow’s relations with the West and as India maintains its longstanding strategic partnership with Russia, including significant energy and defence ties.
At 6.15pm, PM Modi will meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The meeting assumes added significance amid the ongoing Iran war and the uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. For India, Iran is important not only because of the regional security situation but also because of Chabahar Port, connectivity with Central Asia and India’s wider energy-security interests.
Pezeshkian has also been seeking a greater diplomatic role for India amid the conflict. Tehran sees New Delhi as a country that maintains relationships with multiple sides of the geopolitical divide and can potentially use those channels to encourage dialogue.
PM Modi will then meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at 6.45pm, also at Bharat Mandapam.
September 12: Africa, Southeast Asia, Abu Dhabi and Xi
On September 12, PM Modi’s bilateral meetings begin with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at 10am, followed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at 10.30am.
At 11am, Modi will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, followed by a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung at 11.30am.
The UAE meeting comes against the backdrop of the wider West Asia crisis and the importance of the Gulf to India’s energy, trade and diaspora interests. The Iran conflict has also exposed the difficult balancing act facing India, given its ties with both Tehran and key Gulf partners such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The most closely watched bilateral of the day is scheduled for 5.45pm, when PM Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Modi-Xi meeting comes amid efforts by India and China to stabilise ties following years of tensions after the 2020 Galwan clash. The two sides have more recently taken steps towards easing tensions, with the relationship showing signs of a cautious thaw.
Xi’s presence at the Delhi summit also makes the bilateral important beyond the India-China relationship. China is one of the most consequential members of BRICS and a major trading partner for India, even as the two countries continue to face strategic and economic differences.
All of the prime minister’s meetings on September 12 will be held at Bharat Mandapam/Hyderabad House.
President To Meet Pezeshkian
On September 12, President Droupadi Murmu will meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at 11.30am at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The meeting comes a day after Pezeshkian’s bilateral engagement with PM Modi and underlines the importance India attaches to its relationship with Iran at a time of heightened regional tensions.
September 13: Seven More Bilateral Meetings
PM Modi’s bilateral engagements continue on September 13, with seven meetings scheduled.
At 2.30pm, he will meet Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, followed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at 3pm.
At 3.30pm, Modi will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, followed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at 4.10pm.
The prime minister will then meet Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye at 4.40pm, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima at 5.10pm and Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo at 5.40pm. All seven meetings will be held at Bharat Mandapam.
The 15 meetings give India an opportunity to use the BRICS summit not just as a multilateral platform but also as a setting for intensive one-on-one diplomacy.
The most closely watched conversations are likely to be with Putin, Pezeshkian and Xi, given the geopolitical issues surrounding each relationship. The Gulf dimension will also be important, particularly through the meeting with the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, as India seeks to maintain strong relationships with both Iran and the Arab Gulf states amid the West Asia crisis.
