New Delhi, 26 October (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at the inauguration of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Parliament House complex in New Delhi and welcomed visiting foreign delegations on the sidelines of the event.

Among the dignitaries welcomed by the Prime Minister was Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Earlier, delegations from BRICS member and partner countries arrived at the Parliament complex to participate in the two-day forum, hosted by the Parliament of India. Officials and Members of Parliament extended a warm welcome to the visiting dignitaries.

Delegations from Uganda, Cuba, Brazil and Russia were among those arriving in the national capital. While Russia and Brazil are full members of BRICS, Uganda and Cuba became partner countries in 2025. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also arrived at Parliament to attend the gathering.

MPs Rajeev Rai and Naresh Bansal welcomed the visiting representatives. Highlighting the importance of BRICS, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal said the grouping represented nearly half of the world’s population, accounted for around 40 per cent of global gross domestic product and contributed approximately 24 per cent to global trade.

Bansal described BRICS as a significant platform for addressing international challenges, particularly those affecting developing countries. He also noted that India was holding the grouping’s presidency and emphasised the role of Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in advancing discussions on shared global concerns.

MP Rajeev Rai expressed hope that the forum would help strengthen the collective voice of participating nations in international affairs. Referring to the influence of the United States, he said the countries should work towards maintaining a balanced global order. Rai added that India had traditionally maintained unity on matters of foreign policy, peace and development, stressing that national interests should remain above partisan differences.

Parliamentary delegations representing 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner nations arrived in New Delhi for the two-day forum. The inaugural ceremony began at 10 am on Monday, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who chairs the forum, delivering the opening address.

The gathering provides a platform for parliamentarians from BRICS member and partner countries to discuss legislative cooperation, development priorities and broader international challenges.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar