Putin Meets Ramaphosa, el-Sissi and Anwar in New Delhi Ahead of BRICS Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of bilateral meetings in New Delhi on Friday, meeting the leaders of South Africa, Egypt and Malaysia, as well as the chair of the New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff, ahead of this weekend's BRICS summit.

In talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin said the two countries shared aligned approaches to major international and regional issues. He thanked South Africa for backing Russian initiatives at the United Nations and stressed the importance Moscow places on deepening ties with African countries broadly. Putin added that preparations were underway for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled to be held in Moscow on October 28–29.

Ramaphosa, for his part, thanked Russia for its support during South Africa's G20 presidency and for backing the country's priorities. He described the G20 summit hosted by South Africa as a success, crediting Russian support as a significant factor.

Putin later met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. He said the meeting was timely and significant given the many developments unfolding in the region and globally, and that Russia takes Egypt's position into account in its policy-making. He noted that the BRICS summit's sidelines provided an opportunity for consultations on both bilateral matters and the international agenda.

The Russian leader also held discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and with Rousseff, who chairs the New Development Bank.

Leaders of the BRICS nations are set to gather in New Delhi this weekend, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions between the United States and China testing the group's capacity for joint action.

BRICS takes its name from the initials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping has since expanded to include 11 countries that together account for roughly half the world's population and a substantial share of its energy, resources and economic output. Analysts note that the bloc's growth has also brought differences to the surface, as members seek greater influence in the global order while often pursuing competing political, economic and foreign-policy interests.