NEW DELHI: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital on Friday for the BRICS summit, with his visit set to include bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on strengthening economic cooperation and advancing ties between the two countries.
Pezeshkian, who is visiting India for the first time since taking charge as Iran’s president, was received at the airport by Union Minister Shantanu Thakur.
His visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia following fresh punitive economic measures imposed by the United States on Iran. The Iranian leader is scheduled to hold talks with Modi on Friday evening.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Pezeshkian, describing India-Iran relations as being rooted in longstanding civilisational, cultural and people-to-people ties.
“As BRICS partners, the two countries are working to contribute to shared progress and prosperity,” Jaiswal said in a social media post.
Ahead of his departure for New Delhi, Pezeshkian called for a greater focus by BRICS on strengthening the economic resilience of its members. He said the New Development Bank was established to reduce countries’ dependence on the US dollar and counter what he described as Washington’s efforts to maintain dominance.
India is hosting the two-day BRICS summit from Saturday, with discussions expected to centre on strengthening collective resilience in areas including food and energy security, healthcare, disaster management and critical supply chains.
The summit is taking place against a backdrop of growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, including the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the West Asia crisis, disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the trade and tariff policies of the Trump administration.
Modi had met Pezeshkian in Bishkek on August 31, when he conveyed India’s support for efforts aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in West Asia.
Pezeshkian had then urged Modi to use India’s wide-ranging contacts with countries and parties involved in the conflict to encourage a shift away from war and bloodshed towards dialogue and an agreement.
During Friday’s bilateral meeting, India is expected to reiterate the importance of keeping maritime routes open and ensuring the safety of civilians as well as civilian infrastructure in the region.
The crisis has also disrupted global energy supplies following Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s petroleum supplies pass.