Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate meetings with the leaders of Malaysia and Ethiopia, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
During his meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Modi discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries and reviewed cooperation in areas including the economy, defence and security, according to India’s Foreign Ministry.
Modi also met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to assess progress in bilateral relations. Their discussions covered trade and investment, defence, semiconductors, infrastructure, the digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people relations. The two leaders also exchanged views on important regional and international developments.
Later on Friday, Modi held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The two leaders emphasized the importance of a multipolar international system and called for reforms to multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council, so they better reflect current global realities.
Their discussions also addressed ongoing conflicts, freedom of navigation, sustainable development, human-centred artificial intelligence, renewable energy and global food security.
The two-day BRICS summit begins Saturday in New Delhi and brings together leaders and senior officials from the expanded 11-member grouping. Alongside founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the bloc now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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