Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to attend the BRICS National Security Advisors meeting in New Delhi on June 22-23. The high-level gathering will address international security challenges, regional issues, and prepare for the upcoming BRICS Summit in India. Wang Yi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with India's NSA Ajit Doval, focusing on India-China border issues.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, according to a presidential aide.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in India for a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting, where discussions will focus on the escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on global energy supply chains.
The BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi concluded without a joint statement due to disagreements over the West Asia conflict, with Iran blaming the UAE for the lack of consensus. India, as the host, issued a chair's statement highlighting the differing views.
India has expressed serious concerns about the West Asia crisis and its potential impact on energy supplies and maritime stability, urging BRICS nations to find practical solutions to geopolitical challenges and unilateral sanctions.
Sharp differences between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict were on full display during the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, signalling the challenges the bloc faces in reaching a consensus position on the crisis.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has urged India to take the lead in bringing peace to West Asia, highlighting the UAE's role in stalling BRICS consensus on the conflict. Gharibabadi also discussed a new framework with Oman for merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on the global energy supply chain are expected to dominate deliberations at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be hosted by India.
The ministry of external affairs on Monday said that a joint statement could not be issued following the BRICS deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) meeting, which took place on April 24 in the national capital, as member countries were unable to reach a general consensus concerning the conflict in West Asia.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held "constructive" talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, focusing on the normalisation of bilateral ties. The discussions reviewed recent developments and progress towards rebuilding trust after the eastern Ladakh border standoff. Both sides have implemented measures, including disengagement pacts and high-level meetings, to improve relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's week-long ongoing tour of France and Slovakia is his 100th foreign trip since he assumed the high office 12 years ago.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi, stressing the importance of respecting each other's "core interests" and implementing leaders' consensus for stable bilateral relations. Wang highlighted that India and China should view each other as partners, not rivals, and properly handle sensitive issues like the border dispute to foster cooperation and accelerate the modernisation of the Global South.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi held talks focusing on the West Asia crisis and its impact on energy supplies and maritime stability.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval called for decisive action against terrorism and said there cannot be 'double standards' in the fight against it, while addressing an international security forum in Russia.
India clarified its absence from a South Africa-initiated naval wargame, stating it was not an institutional BRICS activity. The exercise involved navies from China, Russia, Iran, and others, amid rising tensions in Iran.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India K Sanjay Murthy highlighted the need for stronger accountability systems to support India's urban transformation and sustainable mobility push at the BRICS Supreme Audit Institutions Leaders' Summit in Bengaluru.
India is conducting a special audit of 101 cities to assess ease of living from the citizen's perspective, Comptroller and Auditor General K Sanjay Murthy said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed their commitment to dismantling global hegemonism and building a 'multipolar world' during high-level talks in Beijing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all commercial vessels, requiring ships to coordinate with Iranian naval forces due to regional tensions and a US blockade.
India's procurement of Venezuelan crude oil has picked up momentum since April and the South American nation has already emerged as the third largest oil supplier to the country.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has denied signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Russian athletics federation, amidst ongoing sanctions and the conflict in Ukraine.
India should not stay on the margins of this initiative. There should be a serious debate about what would be in India's best interests asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The US-China rapprochement, however tenuous, is not without implications for India. Both China and Pakistan have become closer to the US, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi on Saturday said that Iran has prepared a "professional mechanism" to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through a designated route, which will be unveiled soon.
Two India-bound LPG tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in the region, while an India-flagged vessel sank after being hit near the strategic shipping corridor.
Vietnam is an emerging regional power and a closer relationship with Hanoi is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
India emerged reasonably well from 2025. But now, the oil shock and war-related supply disruptions have again driven funds out of India and significantly weakened the rupee, points out Ajay Chhibber.
The Enforcement Directorate has reported a staggering 170 per cent surge in asset attachments, reaching 81,422 crore in the last financial year (FY26), underscoring its intensified efforts against financial crimes and its significant role in restituting funds to victims.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic efforts, questioning how Pakistan was able to secure a role as a mediator between the US and Iran despite India's attempts to isolate it after the Pahalgam attack. The party also raised concerns about India's standing on the global stage and its relationship with the US and China.
The BRICS nations have expressed concern over the proliferation of trade-restrictive actions in the form of 'indiscriminate rising' of tariffs, particularly measures used as a means of 'coercion', cautioning that such practices risk marginalising the Global South countries.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated a new biotechnology facility and dedicated a national facility for recombinant cells and sensors at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in Thiruvananthapuram, highlighting India's focus on biotechnology and its potential for economic growth.
Despite a 21 per cent minimum wage hike in parts of Uttar Pradesh, factory workers in India, particularly in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, continue to experience wages below the national average and a widening disparity compared to supervisors and managers.
India's handling of the Iran crisis reflects a growing strain between strategic autonomy and geopolitical alignment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on India and China to view each other as partners rather than rivals, emphasising the importance of cooperation for regional stability and development.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has engaged in multiple conversations with his Iranian counterpart to secure safe passage for Indian merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amidst escalating tensions in West Asia.
The Indian embassy in Tehran has earlier stated that it is facilitating the safe movement of nationals who wish to leave Iran.
'Even if the war ends tomorrow, which is unlikely, and we go back to the pre-war status quo, the world will still need some time to get over the sudden shock of oil price increases.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called on Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) to defend the multilateral trading system amid increasing protectionism and tariff volatility during a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.
Lavrov's comments came two days after Russia accused the US of attempting to prevent India and other countries from buying Russian oil, saying Washington was using a wide range of 'coercive' measures, including tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
