New Delhi, May 22, 2026 — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with participants of the BRICS Young Diplomats Forum and heads of diplomatic academies in the national capital to discuss this year’s BRICS priorities under India’s chairship.
The discussions focused on the 2026 theme — “resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability” — and explored how the grouping can better support global development through deeper collaboration, youth engagement and stronger institutional ties. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was pleased to interact with delegates and exchanged views on ways BRICS can contribute to international progress.
India assumed the BRICS Chairmanship on January 1, 2026, taking over from Brazil. The country is guiding the bloc under the people-centric slogan Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, a direction reflected from priorities voiced at the 2025 Rio Summit. This is India’s fourth time holding the BRICS presidency; it previously hosted summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
BRICS now brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries: 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 regional and global political and economic governance.
Earlier in May, New Delhi hosted a BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting attended by ministers from member and observer states, including Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, Iran’s Abbas Araghchi, South Africa’s Ronald Lamola and Brazil’s Mauro Vieira. The meetings underline India’s emphasis on engaging a new generation of diplomats and strengthening institutional partnerships across the bloc.
(Report sourced from ANI.)
