New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov here on Saturday and discussed bilateral ties and current regional developments.
Following the meeting, EAM Jaishankar, in a post on X, wrote, “Glad to meet FM Maxim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Reviewed our bilateral ties with focus on increasing trade & investments, connectivity, tourism and people-to-people contacts. Also exchanged perspectives on current regional developments. Wished him a pleasant stay in India.”
Earlier in the day, Ryzhenkov arrived here to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
“Warmly welcome Mr. Maxim Ryzhenkov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. India and Belarus share warm and friendly relations, marked by growing cooperation across a broad range of areas, in bilateral and multilateral spheres”, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X.
As BRICS chair in 2026, India is set to host the two-day BRICS Summit here from Saturday, bringing together leaders of BRICS members, partner countries and outreach invitees.
India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First.” Beyond these areas, the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.
BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The partner countries are: Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Last month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that India rightfully enjoys authority on the global stage and played a significant constructive role in addressing pressing issues on the international agenda.
In his congratulatory message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Independence Day, Lukashenko emphasised that Minsk consistently strives to deepen dialogue with New Delhi.
Lukashenko mentioned that he hopes to, through active joint efforts, elevate relations with India to a “qualitatively new level” in both the political and economic spheres.
He also expressed confidence that through joint efforts, it would be possible to elevate India-Belarus relations to a strategic level.
(IANS)
