France backs India's presidency of BRICS in 2026: Emmanuel Macron speaks to PM Modi
The conversation came days after US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
- Aug 21, 2025,
- Updated Aug 21, 2025 9:32 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, focusing on conflict resolution in Ukraine and West Asia and progress in bilateral cooperation. During the call, Macron also backed Indian's presidency of BRICS in 2026.
The call comes at a time when New Delhi's ties with Washington are strained over US tariffs of 50% on Indian exports, imposed due to India's purchases of Russian oil.
Also, US President Donald Trump views BRICS with suspicion and concern, often framing the group as a geopolitical and economic challenge to American global leadership. He perceives BRICS - comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - as an "anti-US" coalition that seeks to undermine Western influence and create alternative economic and strategic frameworks outside US-dominated institutions.
"Had a very good conversation with my friend President Macron," PM Modi wrote on X. Exchanged views on efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and in West Asia. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the India-France strategic partnership."
The Prime Minister's Office stated that Macron shared assessments on the meetings between European and US leaders with Ukraine, as well as his perspective on the situation in Gaza. Modi reiterated India's "consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflicts and early restoration of peace and stability."
The leaders also reviewed bilateral ties in trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, technology, and energy. They reaffirmed their joint commitment to mark 2026 as the "Year of Innovation" and discussed progress on the India–EU Free Trade Agreement.
Macron, in a statement on X, said, "I have just spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We coordinated our positions on the war in Ukraine in order to move towards a just and lasting peace, with strong guarantees for Ukraine and Europe's security." He added, "On trade issues, we agreed to strengthen our economic exchanges and our strategic partnership in all areas — this is the key to our sovereignty and independence."
Highlighting technology cooperation, Macron pointed to the follow-up on the AI Action Summit held in Paris in 2024. "We are working towards the success of the AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi in 2026,” he said.
On multilateral coordination, Macron said, "For more effective multilateralism, we agreed to work closely together in preparation for the French presidency of the G7 and the Indian presidency of the BRICS in 2026.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, focusing on conflict resolution in Ukraine and West Asia and progress in bilateral cooperation. During the call, Macron also backed Indian's presidency of BRICS in 2026.
The call comes at a time when New Delhi's ties with Washington are strained over US tariffs of 50% on Indian exports, imposed due to India's purchases of Russian oil.
Also, US President Donald Trump views BRICS with suspicion and concern, often framing the group as a geopolitical and economic challenge to American global leadership. He perceives BRICS - comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - as an "anti-US" coalition that seeks to undermine Western influence and create alternative economic and strategic frameworks outside US-dominated institutions.
"Had a very good conversation with my friend President Macron," PM Modi wrote on X. Exchanged views on efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and in West Asia. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the India-France strategic partnership."
The Prime Minister's Office stated that Macron shared assessments on the meetings between European and US leaders with Ukraine, as well as his perspective on the situation in Gaza. Modi reiterated India's "consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflicts and early restoration of peace and stability."
The leaders also reviewed bilateral ties in trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, technology, and energy. They reaffirmed their joint commitment to mark 2026 as the "Year of Innovation" and discussed progress on the India–EU Free Trade Agreement.
Macron, in a statement on X, said, "I have just spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We coordinated our positions on the war in Ukraine in order to move towards a just and lasting peace, with strong guarantees for Ukraine and Europe's security." He added, "On trade issues, we agreed to strengthen our economic exchanges and our strategic partnership in all areas — this is the key to our sovereignty and independence."
Highlighting technology cooperation, Macron pointed to the follow-up on the AI Action Summit held in Paris in 2024. "We are working towards the success of the AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi in 2026,” he said.
On multilateral coordination, Macron said, "For more effective multilateralism, we agreed to work closely together in preparation for the French presidency of the G7 and the Indian presidency of the BRICS in 2026.”