By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], September 7 : Ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit 2026 in India, South African High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal on Monday said that the summit will be a major gathering of global leaders and is expected to be “fruitful” on several fronts.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sooklal said that all BRICS leaders are expected to be in New Delhi this week, calling their presence an important indication of the strategic significance of the grouping in the global environment.
“India is going to have a fruitful summit on a number of fronts...This is an important summit. We have been informed that all of the BRICS leaders are going to be in Delhi this week, and that itself is an important indication of just how strategic this formation is in terms of the global environment,” he said.
He highlighted the participation of major leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“To have in Delhi, under the prime ministership of PM Modi, President Xi, President Putin, President Ramaphosa and other leaders; This is a major gathering of the major leaders, not just the Global South, but these are global leaders. India is going to have a fruitful summit on a number of fronts,” Sooklal said.
On the evolution of BRICS, the South African envoy said the grouping has brought the Global South to the forefront of the global geopolitical environment and created a platform for countries to work collectively for the benefit of the wider international community.
“For the first time, on the global stage, you have a powerful formation of the Global South. The emergence of BRICS has brought to the fore countries of the Global South as a major addition to the global geopolitical environment, to work collectively for the benefit of the global community, not just the Global South,” he said.
His remarks come as all eyes are set on India, with New Delhi set to hold the key diplomatic gathering later this week. As BRICS Chair 2026, India will host the 18th BRICS Summit this week on September 12-13 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. The Summit will bring together leaders of BRICS Member and Partner Countries as well as Outreach Invitees.
India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First", said the Ministry of External Affairs in a press release earlier.