New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit 2026; he will also hold a bilateral with PM Modi later in the day. 

Speaking ahead of his departure from Tehran, the Iranian President said. 'The goal of BRICS is to confront unilateralism, and the slogan of the current summit is also within this framework, and we hope to get closer to this goal day by day. Of course, we know that economic issues are complex and we need new approaches to reduce totalitarianism and unilateralism in the world.'

According to ISNA, before travelling to India, the Iranian President, referring to the importance of the BRICS summit said, 'Independence, solidarity, sustainability, resistance, and innovation are the slogans of the summit, and economic, financial, industrial, and trade issues will be discussed at this summit.'

'A special bank has been formed within the BRICS framework, and we are going to see investment from countries so that interactions between countries and members can be carried out without dependence on the dollar, thus reducing America's totalitarianism with the dollar,' he added.

The Iranian President, who had earlier met PM Modi on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, will continue his engagements with a bilateral meeting scheduled for later on Friday. The President emphasised that Iran and India have a long-standing relationship and can expand their commonalities.

'Our presence at this summit is a good opportunity to meet and discuss with various officials, including those from China, Russia, Brazil, India, and other countries,' he said.

Earlier, during their meeting in Bishkek, Prime Minister Modi had reiterated India's backing for all efforts for long-standing peace and stability in the region.

Reiterating India's readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO, Prime Minister Modi expressed New Delhi's resolve to 'expand and diversify' bilateral trade channels with Iran, emphasising the country's dedication to deepening historic ties across multiple domains. 

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. 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)