New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. Upon her arrival, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister was warmly received by senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 

The Brazilian government, as the BRICS Chair in 2025 had announced the formal admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the BRICS group. As Africa's largest country by population and one of its leading economies, Nigeria brings substantial influence to the partnership. The nation's role in South-South cooperation aligns closely with the priorities of BRICS.

Earlier,  Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa P Lazaro arrived at the airport in New Delhi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also arrived in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit. Upon his arrival, Putin was welcomed by Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. 

Other major representatives from Russia who arrived early in the morning were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov. 

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi also arrived to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira arrived in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs announced Vieira's arrival, who represents Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the summit, as the latter remains in Brazil for his election campaign.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 under its 2026 BRICS Chairship. India's Chairship is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.

BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda covers development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries, i.e. Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

Collectively, the BRICS members account for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade, according to background information on India's 2026 Chairship.

India's BRICS Chairship comes amid global economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and resource pressures.

The expanded grouping provides a platform for cooperation on development, climate action, technology, energy and financial resilience, while also contributing to discussions on reforms in global institutions.

For India, the 2026 Chairship is focused on translating the expanded representation of BRICS into meaningful cooperation and tangible outcomes, while building consensus among its diverse members and strengthening the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. (ANI)