BRICS 2026: UN chief Guterres meets PM Modi; discusses West Asia, Ukraine conflicts

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on current conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, with the world body chief reaffirming the principle of freedom of navigation.

Guterres met Modi in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS summit that India is hosting on September 12-13.

The two leaders "had a wide-ranging discussion on the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the impact both are having on the global economy, including regarding access to food and fertiliser," the office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said in a statement.


It said the secretary-general "reaffirmed the principle of freedom of navigation."

The two leaders also exchanged views on the growing danger of lethal autonomous weapons.

Guterres expressed appreciation for India's close cooperation with the United Nations. They also discussed the priorities of India's presidency of the BRICS, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the world in the 21st century, the statement said.

The UN chief has been invited to speak at the summit's Open Session on 'Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth' on September 13.

India, a founding member of BRICS, is Chair for 2026 and will be hosting the 18th BRICS Summit, which will bring together leaders of member states and partner countries as well as outreach invitees.

Guterres, whose second five-year tenure as head of the United Nations ends in December 2026, had travelled to India in February to attend the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.