At the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar engaged in a series of significant bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Iran, Mexico, and Russia, underscoring India’s proactive diplomatic outreach and its commitment to multilateral cooperation.

1. Meeting With Mexico:

EAM Jaishankar met with Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The discussions centred on advancing the India-Mexico partnership, with a focus on key sectors such as health, digital technology, space, and broader technological cooperation. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to deepen collaboration in these strategic areas, reflecting the growing convergence between the two countries on global and regional issues.

2. Meeting With Iran:

Jaishankar also held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. Their conversation was primarily focused on recent regional developments, indicating India’s continued engagement with West Asian affairs and its intent to maintain open channels with key regional players. This meeting comes at a time of heightened geopolitical flux in the region, and India’s dialogue with Iran highlights its balanced approach to regional diplomacy.

3. Meeting with Russia:

Earlier, Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two leaders discussed a broad spectrum of issues, including bilateral cooperation, regional security in West Asia, developments within BRICS, and matters related to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This engagement reaffirms the strategic partnership between India and Russia and their shared interests in regional stability and multilateral forums.

BRICS Summit 2025: Key Highlights

The 17th BRICS Summit, chaired by Brazil, saw the participation of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. The summit provided a platform for emerging economies to address global challenges and strengthen South-South cooperation.

A central theme was the collective condemnation of terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the session on Peace and Security, emphasized that terrorism is the most serious challenge confronting humanity today. He referred to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir (April 22), describing it as a direct assault on India’s soul, identity, and dignity. Modi called for unwavering international solidarity and gratitude to friendly nations that expressed support and condolences in the aftermath of the attack.

Modi asserted that condemning terrorism must be a principle, not a matter of convenience. He warned against selective responses based on the country or victims involved, stating that such double standards betray humanity. The Prime Minister urged BRICS nations to adopt a unified and principled stance, including imposing sanctions against terrorists without hesitation. He also highlighted the need for comprehensive reforms in global governance to better represent the interests of the Global South.

The BRICS nations issued a joint statement condemning the Pahalgam attack “in the strongest terms,” reaffirming their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and calling for concerted international action against all UN-designated terrorists and entities.

Summit Context And Broader Implications

The summit was marked by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who were represented by senior officials. This shift allowed India and Brazil to play a more prominent role in shaping the summit’s agenda, with a particular emphasis on economic development, counter-terrorism, and the interests of the Global South.

India’s active participation and Jaishankar’s bilateral engagements reflect its strategic intent to expand partnerships, address regional security, and champion the cause of unified action against terrorism at global platforms like BRICS.

Based On ANI Report