President Pezeshkian Meets President Murmu At Rashtrapati Bhavan During India Visit

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday during his visit to India for the 18th BRICS Summit. Pezeshkian arrived in the national capital on Friday and was received at the airport by Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed his visit, highlighting the civilisational ties and strong cultural and people-to-people connections between India and Iran.

Pezeshkian's visit comes amid discussions between India and Iran on developments in West Asia and cooperation through BRICS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Iranian President on Friday on the sidelines of the summit, with both leaders discussing the bilateral relationship and the situation in the region. Modi stressed India's consistent position that outstanding issues in West Asia should be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.

During their meeting, Modi also emphasised the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and commerce and ensuring the safety and well-being of seafarers. The discussions came against the backdrop of heightened security concerns affecting maritime movement in the region. Modi called for continued efforts towards lasting peace and stability in West Asia, according to the MEA.

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The meeting between Modi and Pezeshkian was their second in less than two weeks. The two leaders had previously met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on August 31. Modi also thanked Pezeshkian for Iran's continued high-level participation in BRICS-related meetings despite what India described as challenging circumstances.

The two sides also discussed India's and Iran's cooperation in multilateral organisations, including BRICS. Modi thanked Pezeshkian for participating in the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum and highlighted the potential of the grouping to strengthen resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries of the Global South.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries as well as outreach invitees. India's BRICS chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting Modi's emphasis on a people-centric approach rooted in the principle of “Humanity First”, according to the MEA.

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