12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026 Kicks Off in New Delhi

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026 has commenced in New Delhi, bringing together lawmakers, presiding officers and dignitaries from across BRICS member and partner countries. India is hosting the two-day event at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament House complex.

The opening day drew significant attention as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the proceedings. He took part in the official family photograph and held meetings with representatives of several partner nations.

Among the highlights of the day was a meeting between the Iranian parliamentary delegation and senior Indian leaders. The Iranian Embassy shared a video of its representative speaking with Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and MP Shashi Tharoor.

The Embassy, in a post on X, said the Prime Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar and Shashi Tharoor had paid courtesy calls on the Iranian parliamentary delegates during the forum. It added that such engagements underscored the importance of India-Iran bilateral relations.

The Iranian delegation is led by Dr. Ahmad Naderi. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had been expected to attend but was unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances, according to a statement issued on October 24. A parliamentary delegation from Iran will participate in his place.

The programme on October 26 and 27 includes presiding officers and parliamentary leaders, Union Ministers, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, state assembly presiding officers and MPs.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla formally inaugurated the forum on Monday and urged BRICS partners to deliver tangible results. He stressed that the success of the forum would be judged by its outcomes rather than discussions, and called for solutions that improve citizens' lives.