Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from BRICS member and partner nations arrived at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting being hosted under India's 2026 chairship of the expanded grouping.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar personally welcomed the visiting dignitaries, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and representatives from several BRICS nations and partner countries. The leaders later gathered for an official group photograph ahead of the high-level discussions.
The two-day meeting marks the first major ministerial-level engagement under India's BRICS chairship after New Delhi assumed the presidency of the bloc from Brazil on January 1, 2026. This is the fourth time India is leading the grouping, having previously hosted BRICS summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The meeting comes at a crucial time amid escalating tensions in West Asia, with discussions expected to focus heavily on the regional crisis and its global economic implications. The situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping route handling nearly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG trade — is likely to dominate deliberations after Iran's actions disrupted energy supply chains and triggered a sharp rise in global crude oil and gas prices.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), BRICS foreign ministers and heads of delegations will exchange views on key regional and global developments, strengthen multilateral cooperation and discuss reforms in international governance structures in response to evolving geopolitical realities.
The meeting is also expected to help shape the agenda for the BRICS Leaders' Summit scheduled later this year. Participating delegations are also likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit.
Among other prominent attendees are UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Vietnam Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang and Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong.
#WATCH | BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting | External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar welcomes Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/6MOjA78TkI
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2026
India recently unveiled the official logo and dedicated website for its BRICS 2026 chairship under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". Officials said the theme reflects India's "Humanity First" and people-centric approach championed by Prime Minister Modi during the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE, while Indonesia joined the grouping in 2025.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Jaishankar on regional developments and diplomatic coordination amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.
