New Delhi : Secretary (South) at the Ministry of External Affairs, Neena Malhotra, held talks with China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue, Zhai Jun on the sidelines of BRICS MENA Consultations.
Malhotra and Zhai talked about recent developments in the MENA region.
In a post on X, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said, "On the margins of the ongoing BRICS MENA Consultations, China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue, Mr. Zhai Jun met Secretary (South) Dr. Neena Malhotra. Both sides held a constructive exchange on recent developments in the MENA region and also discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two sides."
Malhotra also met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Borisenko Georgy and discussed bilateral aspects of cooperation. In a post on X, Jaiswal said, "Secretary (South), Dr. Neena Malhotra met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Borisenko Georgy, on the sidelines of ongoing BRICS MENA Consultations. They had a productive exchange of views on the recent developments in the MENA region. Both sides also discussed some bilateral aspects of cooperation between the two friendly countries."
Malhotra also held talks with Iran's Special Envoy for Middle East, Mahdi Shoushtari on the regional situation. In a post on X, Jaiswal said, "On the sidelines of ongoing BRICS MENA Consultations, Secretary (South), Dr. Neena Malhotra had a meeting with Iran's Special Envoy for Middle East, Mr. Mahdi Shoushtari. They exchanged perspectives on the regional situation. Both sides also touched base on the bilateral aspects between the two countries."
Meanwhile, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), hosted the inaugural convening of the BRICS Academic Forum on April 17 and April 18 in the national capital.
India assumed the BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2026, under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", with the Academic Forum forming a key component of its broader engagement process during the Presidency year.