On the participation of H.E. Maxim Ryzhenkov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, in BRICS Summit
12.09.2026On September 12, 2026, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov, on behalf of President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, arrived in India to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit. On the first day, the Belarusian Foreign Minister met with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the summit, during which the two sides discussed a wide range of issues related to Belarusian-Indian cooperation.
The parties reaffirmed the traditionally friendly nature of Belarusian-Indian political relations and commended their collaboration at multilateral forums, including BRICS and the SCO. Maxim Ryzhenkov thanked his Indian counterpart for organizing the summit at a high level and for his hospitality. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in turn, noted the extremely important meeting between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held on August 31, 2026, on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council meeting in Kyrgyzstan, and praised Belarus's efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and normalize the situation in Eastern Europe. A central element of the meeting was the discussion of the schedule of bilateral visits at the highest and highest levels for the near future. Furthermore, the parties discussed expanding Belarus's consular presence in India's regions to strengthen interregional ties. In the trade and economic sphere, the interlocutors focused on developing a roadmap for bilateral cooperation for the period 2026–2030, as well as the expeditious organization of the 12th meeting of the Belarusian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation in Economics, Trade, Industry, Science, Technology, and Culture. Separate sectoral consultations involving businesses and regulators should be an important component of the Commission meeting. The implementation of these tasks will allow for the proper development of high-level contacts between the two countries. Maxim Ryzhenkov noted the positive dynamics of trade turnover between the countries, which has exceeded USD 1 billion and continues to grow. The parties paid particular attention to the ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EAEU and India and agreed to assist Belarus in the speedy completion of this process. In the humanitarian sphere, the head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry informed his Indian counterpart of the Belarusian government's decision to issue Belarusian e-visas to Indian citizens, which will help intensify interpersonal and business contacts. The launch of more flights—both between Minsk and New Delhi and to other major Indian cities—will also serve this purpose.
