At the second BRICS trade contact group meeting in Gandhinagar, India highlighted strong growth in intra-BRICS trade and discussed deeper integration, resilient value chains, and expanded services trade.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s humorous reaction to a journalist’s phone interruption during a BRICS press conference in New Delhi went viral, alongside discussions on India-Russia bilateral ties.
Iran and UAE disagreements over Israel conflict prevented consensus at BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting; India issued chair’s statement with dissent notes instead.
At the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, members endorsed India-backed priorities, condemned terrorism, and advanced cooperation across governance, development, and digital agendas despite no joint statement on West Asia.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conducted bilateral meetings with multiple foreign leaders during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, while ministers issued a joint statement on global challenges and BRICS cooperation.
The former Brazilian president proclaimed that the BRICS bank must develop a new strategy to maintain the development course over the next five years.
At a session marking BRICS’ 20th anniversary, Russia’s foreign minister proposed a new investment platform to fund development projects, including via digital assets, with a potential role for the New Development Bank.
India urged BRICS to champion sweeping reforms, calling global institutional overhaul ‘not a matter of choice, but of necessity.’ Seeking a ‘more representative’ UN Security Council and fairer financial systems, India warned that ‘reform is overdue’ to address modern challenges like supply chain fragility and energy insecurity.
Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development opens funding for research partnerships with BRICS countries, with registrations open until July 6.
