Chinese and Russian envoys to India have reaffirmed their support for New Delhi’s BRICS presidency in 2026. The announcement came during the BRICS Ambassadors’ Roundtable Discussion hosted by the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong emphasised his country’s commitment to India’s leadership role. He shared his vision for BRICS cooperation through the acronym MAGIC, representing Multilateralism, Action, Global Governance, Inclusiveness, and Cooperation. Xu stated that China stands ready to work hand in hand with all member countries to strengthen constructive cooperation and ensure durable and fruitful outcomes for the greater BRICS framework.

Russia’s Charge d’Affaires, Roman Babushkin, also addressed the gathering. The Russian Embassy in India highlighted his remarks on Telegram, noting that Babushkin reaffirmed Russia’s support for India’s BRICS Chairship priorities in 2026.

He underlined that over the past two decades BRICS has evolved into an effective mechanism for multifaceted practical cooperation and has become an influential platform for advancing the interests of the global majority amid the rise of a multipolar world order.

The Vivekananda International Foundation hosted the seminar under the theme “BRICS Role and Priorities in Building a Resilient and Sustainable Global Order.” The discussions explored BRICS’ evolving role in a changing global order, with emphasis on resilience, sustainability, inclusivity, multilateralism, and South-South cooperation.

Speakers at the event highlighted cooperation in areas such as climate, trade, finance, digital governance, food and energy security, technology, and connectivity. They stressed the importance of BRICS as a platform for practical, people-centric cooperation guided by the spirit of “Humanity First.”

Significantly, the discussions also touched upon greater collaboration in artificial intelligence, civilizational dialogue, connectivity, and sharing of capabilities among BRICS countries. These themes reflect the grouping’s ambition to expand its influence beyond traditional economic issues into broader domains of governance and innovation.

India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026 marks its fourth time leading the grouping, having previously held the position in 2012, 2016, and 2021.

The Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rio Summit in 2025.

BRICS now brings together eleven major emerging economies: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The grouping serves as a platform for consultation and cooperation on issues of global and regional significance, as well as on global political and economic governance.

The BRICS 2026 website notes that the agenda has expanded significantly from its original economic focus to three core pillars: political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

It further highlights that BRICS cooperation now spans a wide range of issues including counter-terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, international financial architecture, telecommunications, agriculture, labour and employment, trade, and WTO-related matters.

This expansion underscores the grouping’s ambition to act as a comprehensive platform for addressing global challenges in a multipolar world.

ANI