BRICS Summit 2026: Malaysia, Ethiopia want stronger defence cooperation with India

BRICS Summit 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with Ethiopia and Malaysia on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. According to government sources, both the nations expressed that they wanted stronger defence cooperation with India.

Joint personnel training as well as defence procurement from India were discussed, and both Ethiopia and Malaysia said they welcomed Indian industry and investments. While Ethiopia especially welcomed Indian mining companies, semiconductor opportunities were discussed with Malaysia, the sources said.

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INDIA-MALAYSIA BILATERAL MEETING

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim on Saturday. During the meeting, Modi welcomed Ibrahim to India and appreciated Malaysia’s participation in the BRICS Summit as a Partner Country. The two leaders reviewed the outcomes of Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026 and took stock of progress in bilateral cooperation.

The leaders discussed ties across trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, the digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people connections.

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Modi also acknowledged Malaysia’s continued support in strengthening ASEAN-India relations. The two leaders exchanged views on key regional and global issues of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to advancing the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

INDIA-ETHIOPIA BILATERAL MEETING

PM Modi met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Saturday. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties between India and Ethiopia.

The leaders discussed ways to enhance their strategic partnership and reviewed progress in key areas such as economic cooperation, defence and security, and capacity building. This meeting followed Modi’s visit to Addis Ababa in December 2025.

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Modi and Abiy Ahmed also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest. They reaffirmed their commitment to close cooperation in multilateral forums.

Modi stated that Ethiopia’s presence helped reinforce the collective voice of the Global South.

(With inputs from Chetan Bhutani)