National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday formally welcomed BRICS and partner nations at the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting in New Delhi. The gathering brought together senior representatives from eleven full member nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.

Among the dignitaries present were Brazil’s Secretary of Multilateral Political Affairs Carlos Marcio Bicalho Cozendey, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, UAE’s Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi, Egypt’s State Information Service Head Alaa Youssef, Iran’s Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ghadir Nezamipour, Indonesia’s Deputy of Geo-Economy at the National Resilience Council Yayat Ruyat, and Ethiopia’s Executive Director of Analysis at the National Intelligence and Security Service Million Lema Tadesse.

The leaders also participated in a group photograph, symbolising the collective presence of the heads of security from all participating countries. This visual underscored the importance of the coalition in addressing shared challenges.

Ajit Doval hailed BRICS as a “very special coalition,” expressing satisfaction at its growth and emphasising that member and partner economies have a unique role to play in shaping the global order. He noted that the meeting was taking place at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, marked by military conflicts, complex security problems, economic strains, and disruptive technologies.

He warned that threats were compounding while institutional mechanisms were proving inadequate to resolve or mitigate conflicts. He highlighted that multilateralism was on the decline, making the role of BRICS even more critical in fostering cooperation and reform.

Doval reminded participants that BRICS was originally conceived as an informal grouping of emerging economies to advance economic cooperation and strengthen the voice of the Global South. He stressed that the bloc continues to envision reforms in global governance and institutional improvements, while remaining committed to peace, progress, development, and cooperation.

He expressed satisfaction that BRICS was gaining strength day by day, evolving into a coalition dedicated to institutional reforms and collaborative approaches to international challenges. India’s Chairship in 2026 marks its fourth time leading the bloc, following previous terms in 2012, 2016, and 2021.

The current Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s humanity-first approach articulated at the 2025 Rio Summit.

BRICS today unites eleven major emerging economies, serving as a platform for consultation and cooperation on global and regional issues of political and economic governance. Its expanded membership demonstrates the growing relevance of the bloc in shaping a multipolar world order.

ANI