Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, reinforcing India’s commitment to strengthening ties with Southeast Asia.
During the summit, PM Modi also met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The leaders exchanged greetings before engaging in discussions, accompanied by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other senior officials.
The BRICS Summit, hosted by Brazil under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance,” saw participation from founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with newly inducted members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Modi strongly advocated for comprehensive reforms of global governance institutions, emphasizing the need to correct systemic inequalities that have long marginalized the Global South.
“The Global South has often been a victim of double standards. Whether it’s in development, security, or resource distribution, our interests have been overlooked,” Modi stated, underscoring that climate finance, sustainable development, and technology access have often yielded little more than symbolic gestures.
Highlighting the outdated structure of global institutions formed in the 20th century, the Prime Minister said, “Two-thirds of humanity remains underrepresented in decision-making bodies. Countries contributing significantly to the global economy are denied a seat at the table. This is a question not just of representation, but of credibility and effectiveness.”
He likened global institutions without the inclusion of the Global South to “a mobile phone with a SIM card but no network,” pointing out their inability to adequately address today’s crises — from geopolitical conflicts and pandemics to cyber threats and space-related challenges.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi joined fellow BRICS leaders for the traditional family photograph at Rio’s Museum of Modern Art, marking India’s prominent role in shaping the bloc’s future agenda.