New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira in New Delhi as the 18th BRICS Summit commenced, with the two leaders discussing bilateral ties and cooperation in several key sectors.

Jaishankar said the two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, defence, energy, agriculture and space.

'Pleased to meet FM Mauro Vieira of Brazil as BRICSIndia2026 commences today in New Delhi,' Jaishankar said in a post on X.

'Discussed our bilateral relations, including enhancing cooperation in trade & investment, defence, energy, agriculture and space. Our multilateral cooperation including in the @UN, G20 & IMO also came up,' he added.

The two ministers also exchanged views on the current geopolitical situation and discussed the importance of BRICS in promoting dialogue and diplomacy.

'Exchanged views on the current geopolitical situation and the importance of #BRICS2026 in furthering dialogue & diplomacy,' Jaishankar said.

The meeting came as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, bringing together leaders of the expanded grouping to deliberate on issues of global and regional importance.

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)