New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, underlining India's efforts to use its BRICS presidency to deepen strategic partnerships across Africa, Southeast Asia and the Gulf.

The meetings at Hyderabad House reflected New Delhi's broader diplomatic strategy of combining the multilateral agenda of BRICS with concrete bilateral initiatives in trade, investment, defence, technology, energy, infrastructure and other areas of strategic importance. During his meeting with Abiy, Modi reviewed the progress of the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership and discussed measures to further expand bilateral cooperation.

The talks covered economic cooperation, defence and security, capacity building and other areas of mutual interest, besides regional and international developments. The meeting built on Modi's visit to Addis Ababa in December 2025, which marked an important step in strengthening India's engagement with Ethiopia and the wider African continent.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation in multilateral forums and exchanged views on developments of regional and global significance. Modi also appreciated Ethiopia's participation in the BRICS Summit, saying its presence would contribute to strengthening the collective voice of the Global South. Ethiopia became a full BRICS member in 2024 as part of the grouping's expansion, which has brought a larger number of emerging and developing economies into the forum. In his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Modi welcomed Malaysia's participation in the New Delhi summit as a BRICS Partner Country and reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation following his visit to Malaysia in February 2026.

The discussions encompassed a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, the digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people ties. The extensive agenda highlighted the growing breadth of the India-Malaysia relationship, with both countries seeking to give greater economic, technological and strategic depth to their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

A key outcome of the meeting was Malaysia's concurrence to the establishment of an Indian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. The move is expected to strengthen consular services and facilitate greater engagement between India and Malaysia's eastern region. Modi also appreciated Malaysia's continued support for stronger ASEAN-India relations. India considers its partnership with ASEAN central to its Act East policy and wider Indo-Pacific strategy, while Malaysia remains an important partner in promoting closer economic and strategic ties between India and Southeast Asia.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments and reiterated their commitment to advancing the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Separately, Modi met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, reaffirming the importance New Delhi attaches to its strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates. India-UAE ties have expanded considerably in recent years, moving beyond traditional areas such as trade and energy to encompass investment, infrastructure, technology, fintech, defence, food security and connectivity.

Abu Dhabi has emerged as a significant economic and investment partner for India as the two countries pursue closer integration between their economies. The three bilateral engagements came as leaders and senior representatives from across the emerging world gathered in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, highlighting the breadth of India's diplomatic outreach under its fourth BRICS chairship. The summit is taking place against the backdrop of geopolitical turbulence, trade tensions, armed conflicts and uncertainty surrounding the global economic order.

India has sought to position BRICS as an important platform for cooperation among emerging economies while using its presidency to amplify the concerns and priorities of the Global South. The expanded BRICS grouping comprises 11 full members - India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia - alongside partner countries participating in the wider BRICS framework. Modi's bilateral engagements therefore carry significance beyond individual relationships.

They underline India's approach of maintaining strategic autonomy while simultaneously expanding economic, technological and political partnerships across multiple regions. The discussions with Ethiopia, Malaysia and the leadership of Abu Dhabi highlighted three distinct but interconnected dimensions of that strategy: deeper engagement with Africa, stronger integration with Southeast Asia and consolidation of India's strategic and economic partnership with the Gulf.

As India hosts the BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, Modi's meetings with leaders from different regions are expected to reinforce New Delhi's effort to position itself as a bridge between emerging economies, the Global South and the wider international system, while pursuing tangible bilateral gains alongside the summit's multilateral agenda.