BRICS members and partner countries have begun arriving in New Delhi, India, for the group’s 18th Summit scheduled for September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam.
The BRICS bloc comprises 11 member countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the early hours of Friday, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected on Saturday at about 12:15 p.m., marking his first visit to India in nearly seven years.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima also arrived in New Delhi on Friday to represent President Bola Tinubu at the summit. He is expected to join other leaders in discussions on global political and economic issues.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo have also arrived in the Indian capital.
The summit, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability,” will open with a closed-door session on “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism” for core members.
The 11-member bloc represents about 49 per cent of the world’s population and 40 per cent of global GDP, alongside 10 BRICS partner countries.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye are among those expected to participate.
Other expected participants include Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Lubetkin and World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are also expected, alongside representatives from Cuba, Belarus, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are also scheduled to attend.
The programme includes a tour of the Bharat Innovates Exhibition, a joint tree-planting ceremony and a gala dinner hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings.
On Sunday, Modi will welcome leaders of partner countries and outreach invitees for a broader session focused on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”
