Narendra Modi Holds Talks With Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian Ahead of BRICS Summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi on Friday as the 11-member BRICS summit approached.

“Modi thanked Pezeshkian for Iran’s high-level participation in BRICS”

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The AP report said Modi and Putin discussed cooperation in political, economic, defense, energy and other sectors, and it said the leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues including Middle East conflicts.

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Modi thanked Pezeshkian for Iran’s high-level participation in BRICS “despite the challenging circumstances,” a reference to the Iran war, the report said.

The Al Jazeera account said the Russian and Iranian presidents arrived in India ahead of an 11-member BRICS summit set to be dominated by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and it said Modi reiterated that conflicts should be resolved by dialogue and diplomacy.

Al Jazeera also said Modi met Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and underscored the need to protect freedom of navigation and commerce, as well as the safety and well-being of ship’s crews.

Ahead of the summit, Al Jazeera reported that the presidents of Iran and Russia criticised US dollar dominance ahead of the BRICS summit in India.

In the same Al Jazeera framing, the report said countering the US role in the global economy and the effects of its war on Iran were expected to lead the agenda as the 11-nation bloc met on September 12.

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Euronews said Harsh V. EPant of India’s Observer Research Foundation expected the Gulf conflict to be the “central fault line this time during the BRICS summit,” and it quoted Pant saying “What was seen until last year as an achievement -- the expansion of BRICS -- today looks like a big constraint on BRICS.”

The Al Jazeera report also said the leaders shared perspectives on “the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers,” and it said Modi emphasised continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

Euronews added that Modi wrote on social media that “With the virtuous, one may debate and share friendship; with the unvirtuous, one should have no dealings whatsoever,” as Putin, Xi Jinping and Pezeshkian were set to attend.E

Multiple reports linked the summit’s Iran agenda to India’s balancing act, with Al Jazeera saying Modi met both Putin and Pezeshkian while emphasising freedom of navigation and the safety and well-being of ship’s crews.

“forced India to stop direct crude oil imports”

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ABC4 Utah | Other said India’s relationship with Tehran remained constrained by geopolitics as severe U.S. sanctions and secondary penalties on businesses trading with Iran forced India to stop direct crude oil imports.

Al Jazeera said the BRICS summit was set to be dominated by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and that the conflicts had impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.

Euronews reported that Harsh V. EPant expected the Gulf conflict to be the central fault line and that the BRICS group markets itself as a forum for 11 “emerging markets and developing countries,” listing Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

In the same Euronews account, it said Modi was scheduled to hold talks with Putin later on Friday as India looked to build on one of New Delhi’s most important strategic relationships, with Putin’s arrival in New Delhi on Friday and Xi Jinping set to attend from Saturday to Sunday.E