Modi holds bilateral meetings with Malaysia, Cuba, and Vietnam at BRICS Summit

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The meetings underscored the growing global partnerships and cooperation.

Mr. Modi met with his counterpart the Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the summit.

They reviewed the progress in bilateral relations since Ibrahim’s state visit to India in August 2024.

Both leaders discussed trade and investment, defence, education, healthcare, tourism, and people-to-people contacts

Modi thanked Ibrahim for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, emphasized the need for global cooperation against terrorism. “We reviewed the ground covered in our bilateral relations, including the progress made since PM Ibrahim’s visit to India last year. Futuristic sectors like IT, renewable energy, and infrastructure are those where bilateral ties are growing strongly,” PM Modi said on X.

He asserting: “Also discussed how to improve investment and trade relations between our nations.”

They explored cooperation in the multilateral arena and regional security, with Modi congratulating Malaysia on its successful stewardship of ASEAN.

Both leaders welcomed the prospect of strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Modi also met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, discussed bilateral ties in economic cooperation, development partnership, fintech, capacity building, science and technology, disaster management, and healthcare.

Diaz-Canel expressed interest in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and UPI, while Modi appreciated Cuba’s recognition of Ayurveda and offered support for integrating it into Cuba’s public health system.

“It was wonderful to meet President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez of Cuba. In our talks, we covered a wide range of subjects. Economic relations between our nations have a lot of potential to grow in the coming times,” Modi stated on his handle X.

Modi also held a meeting with Vietnam Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

“Had a good conversation with PM Phạm Minh Chinh of Vietnam on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Brazil,” PM Modi shared post on X.

Their bilateral meetings highlight India’s proactive engagement with global partners, reinforcing its commitment to collaborative growth and development.