New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic activism was in the news during the 18th BRICS summit held in the capital. In the three-day program, PM Modi held 15 formal bilateral meetings with leaders of different countries. Apart from this, informal talks were also held with many global leaders and heads of international organizations.
The process started with the meeting with Putin
Prime Minister Modi's important meetings started with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders reviewed cooperation in areas such as defence, energy, nuclear energy and critical minerals. The target of increasing the trade between the two countries to 100 billion dollars by 2030 was also discussed.
In the defense sector, issues related to the next regiment of S-400, BrahMos and long-range missiles were part of the talks. Along with this, emphasis was also laid on increasing cooperation in fertilizer, steel and railway supply chains.
Also talked to Iran and UN chief
PM Modi discussed Chabahar port, regional connectivity and energy security in his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Amidst the ongoing tension in West Asia, India reiterated its policy of resolution through dialogue and diplomacy. At the same time, global conflict, reform of multilateral institutions and priorities of developing countries were discussed with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Face to face with Jinping after seven years
The meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was the most important in Modi's diplomatic marathon. Jinping had reached India after about seven years. Both the leaders welcomed the improvement in India-China relations and emphasized on increasing cooperation.
PM Modi made it clear that peace and stability on the border is necessary to take the relations forward. There were also discussions on trade, market access, supply chain and increasing people-to-people contacts.
India's focus on Global South
Modi talked to representatives of many countries including Kazakhstan, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Philippines. In these meetings, along with bilateral cooperation, the priorities of the Global South were also discussed.
During its presidency of BRICS, India gave prominence to issues like strong supply chains, trade in local currencies and reform of global institutions. Thus, the 15 bilateral meetings over three days showed that India effectively used the BRICS platform to advance its global and bilateral agenda.