PM Modi held 15 bilaterals on sidelines of Brics in 3-day diplomatic marathon | India News
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 15 sit-down bilateral meetings with heads of state and government over three days on the sidelines of the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi, in addition to several pull-aside interactions with world leaders and leaders of international institutions, sources told TOI.The packed diplomatic schedule brought PM Modi into direct engagement with leaders from Russia, China, Iran, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Gulf and other regions. The discussions covered bilateral ties, trade, investment, defence, energy, technology, connectivity, critical minerals and major regional and global developments.The engagements took place as India hosted the Brics Summit under its 2026 chairship, with the expanded grouping bringing together countries with differing geopolitical positions. The bilateral meetings provided New Delhi an opportunity to advance its own strategic and economic priorities alongside the broader summit agenda.
Day 1: Putin, Pezeshkian and UN chief
On September 11, PM Modi held separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.The Modi-Putin meeting focused on the India-Russia strategic partnership, with the two leaders reviewing cooperation across defence, energy, trade, infrastructure, technology, critical minerals and civil nuclear energy. They also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the West Asia situation and their impact on maritime trade and the safety of Indian seafarers.PM Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward for resolving conflicts. The two sides also discussed efforts to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.PM Modi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with the discussions covering India-Iran relations, Brics cooperation and developments in West Asia. PM Modi reiterated India’s support for dialogue and diplomacy and stressed the importance of lasting peace and stability in the region.On the same day, PM Modi met UN Secretary-General António Guterres, adding a multilateral dimension to his diplomatic engagements.
Day 2: Xi meeting takes centre stage
On September 12, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vietnamese leadership and Chinese President Xi Jinping.The meeting with Xi was among the most closely watched engagements of the summit. The two leaders discussed the India-China relationship, the boundary question, peace and tranquillity along the border, economic and trade ties, supply chains and people-to-people exchanges.PM Modi stressed that differences should not become disputes and underlined the importance of mutual respect, sensitivity and interest in guiding bilateral relations.The meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim covered areas including trade, investment, defence, semiconductors, infrastructure, the digital economy, energy and fintech.PM Modi’s meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and India’s engagement with Africa.He also held talks with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with discussions centred on the India-UAE strategic partnership and cooperation in areas including defence, technology, energy, critical minerals and connectivity.
Day 3: Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia
On September 13, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye.He also held engagements with the leadership of Uganda and Nigeria, according to the schedule of bilateral meetings.The meetings broadened India’s diplomatic outreach across Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, with discussions focused on strengthening bilateral partnerships and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.The engagement with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was particularly relevant to the Brics grouping, as South Africa is one of the founding members of the expanded bloc and an important partner for India in advancing the interests of the Global South.The meetings with Egypt and Burundi further strengthened India’s engagement with African partners, while the talks with Kazakhstan expanded India’s outreach in Central Asia.The Philippines engagement added another important Southeast Asian dimension to PM Modi’s diplomatic schedule, alongside his earlier meeting with Malaysia.
Bilaterals beyond formal summit agenda
The 15 formal sit-down meetings were accompanied by several shorter pull-aside interactions with other visiting leaders and representatives of international institutions.
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The diplomatic activity underlined the importance India attached to bilateral engagement during its Brics chairship. While the summit provided a platform for collective discussions among the expanded grouping, the sidelines allowed PM Modi to address country-specific priorities directly with individual leaders.The meetings also came at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, with conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine affecting energy markets, maritime trade and global supply chains.For New Delhi, the three-day diplomatic marathon offered an opportunity to simultaneously deepen strategic partnerships with Russia and the Gulf, stabilise ties with China, maintain engagement with Iran and strengthen India’s outreach to Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.The 15 sit-down bilaterals, combined with the additional pull-aside meetings, therefore formed a significant part of PM Modi’s diplomatic outreach during India’s 2026 Brics chairship.
