BRICS 2026: Trade, defence in focus as PM Narendra Modi meets leaders of Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi departs from New Delhi after conclusion of the BRICS Summit on Sunday. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held bilateral discussions with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and a host of other visiting leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, with a focus on boosting trade and investment ties.

With Egypt emerging as a critically important partner for India in West Asian and North African dynamics, Modi and El-Sisi discussed regional issues and trade ties. In a social media post, PM Modi said that he had a “wonderful interaction” with President El-Sisi. “We talked about various issues, notably regional issues and the India-Egypt friendship that is significantly growing in recent times,” he said.

This was among the 15 bilateral meetings that the Prime Minister had with visiting leaders over the last three days. Other meetings on Sunday included those with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo, and Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Officials said boosting cooperation in trade, investment, defence and people-to-people ties was a dominant theme at the meetings. In a social media post, PM Modi said he and Ramaphosa reviewed the full breadth of the India-South Africa strategic partnership, including cooperation in mining and critical minerals, infrastructure, food security, digital public infrastructure and emerging technologies.

“Our partnership is rooted in history and firmly focused on the future. We will work closely for Africa’s progress, the priorities of the Global South and a more balanced global order,” he said. The Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders exchanged views on a range of global issues of mutual interest and agreed to maintain close coordination in multilateral fora.

During his meeting with Burundi President Ndayishimiye, who is also the Chairperson of the African Union, PM Modi reaffirmed the importance of the India-African Union partnership as a key pillar of cooperation within the Global South and discussed the early convening of the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV).

The two leaders recalled India’s role in bringing the African Union into the G20 fold during India’s presidency in 2023, and stressed that the India-African Union partnership is a key pillar of cooperation within the Global South.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses for a photo with world leaders at Bharat Mandapam on Day 2 of the BRICS Summit 2026, in New Delhi on Sunday.

The Prime Minister also met Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima to discuss a more representative, inclusive and multi-polar international order as they reviewed the multifaceted relationship between the two countries. Their discussions covered trade and investment, defence and security, energy partnership, agriculture, health and digital technologies.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held talks with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and discussed the West Asia conflict as well as reviewed bilateral ties. The Saudi Foreign Minister was in New Delhi to attend the final day’s session of the BRICS Summit.

Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More