Vietnam Elevates Global Standing as BRICS Partner

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Government News Khanh Phuong Leaders to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India. Photo: VGP At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chair of BRICS 2026, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the 18th BRICS Summit and undertake bilateral activities in India from September 12-13, 2026. The tour was one of Viet Nam's important high-level multilateral diplomatic activities in 2026, as well as a significant high-level diplomatic engagement with India following the successful State visit to India by General Secretary and President To Lam in May 2026. The tour was a success, achieving to a high degree the objectives and requirements set for both multilateral and bilateral engagements. Within a very short period of just over 24 hours, the Prime Minister conducted an intensive, effective and substantive program of diplomatic activities. Le attended and delivered remarks at the 18th BRICS Summit, held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and held a number of high-level meetings with leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, international organizations, as well as Indian partners and businesses. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (central, first row) participates in the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, September 12, 2026. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac Since becoming a BRICS partner country in 2025, Viet Nam has actively and proactively participated in activities initiated by BRICS. In particular, this year's Summit marked two decades of BRICS' continuous rise and its growing role and voice of developing economies in global political and economic affairs. Against the backdrop of rapid and far-reaching changes in the world and Viet Nam's increasingly affirmed position in multilateral institutions, Viet Nam participated proactively and responsibly and made practical contributions to the 18th BRICS Summit as a partner country. At the Summit, Prime Minister Le emphasized that Viet Nam supports and wishes BRICS to strengthen coordination with regional, inter-regional and global multilateral mechanisms, contributing to peace, stability and cooperation while creating equal and sustainable development opportunities for all countries; playing a greater role in promoting dialogue and cooperation, building and strengthening trust, contributing to solutions to global challenges, and promoting reform of the multilateral system to better and more comprehensively serve the interests of developing countries. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung puts forward three major orientations for BRICS to enhance its role in the coming period, which also carry practical significance for both BRICS and Viet Nam Highly appreciating the priorities of "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," the Vietnamese Prime Minister put forward three major orientations for BRICS to enhance its role in the coming period, which also carry practical significance for both BRICS and Viet Nam. First, shifting from responding to volatility to proactively enhancing resilience and self-reliance of economies by strengthening cooperation and supporting developing countries in improving their capacity for flexible policymaking, governance and strategic forecasting; raising labor productivity, economic resilience and dynamism; preventing crises in a timely manner; and proactively responding to shocks, particularly in the economic and financial sectors and to current cross-border challenges. Second, shifting from expanding the scale of cooperation to renewing traditional growth drivers while creating new, inclusive and sustainable growth drivers by strengthening policy coordination on trade and investment, opening markets, making greater use of existing financial institutions, and mobilizing additional long-term resources at reasonable costs to help developing countries gain more equitable access to capital for digital and green transitions. Third, translating opportunities for cooperation in science and technology and innovation into concrete programs and projects serving the common interests of countries through joint research, human-resource training and technology transfer, particularly in highly impactful fields such as artificial intelligence, digital technology, smart agriculture and clean energy. Le affirmed that Viet Nam stands ready to accompany BRICS in a spirit of responsibility, goodwill and substantive cooperation to build a peaceful, prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future for all countries and peoples. According to Vietnamese Ambassador to India Trinh Minh Manh, through exchanges with Indian agencies and partners, the Indian side attaches importance to and highly appreciates Viet Nam's participation in the Summit, viewing it as "an opportunity for Viet Nam and India to expand the strategic space of the Global South countries". He said that Viet Nam's participation would not only contribute to BRICS cooperation but also "enhance connectivity between BRICS and ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region." In practice, Viet Nam's participation in the Summit, particularly Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's remarks, was highly appreciated by BRICS member countries and the host country. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that Viet Nam's contributions had helped raise the stature of the Summit. Indian media also noted that Viet Nam's presence not only promoted Viet Nam-BRICS relations but also contributed to strengthening connectivity between BRICS and ASEAN. Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (L) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India, September 12, 2026 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac On the bilateral front, a highlight was the summit meeting between Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with an emphasis on translating commitments and agreements into concrete projects and results, thereby generating substantive economic outcomes. The two Prime Ministers conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation and reached high consensus on orientations and measures to further promote the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and India, with a focus on urgently translating into concrete implementation the important outcomes of General Secretary and President To Lam's highly successful State visit to India in May 2026, under the spirit of "Sharing visions, converging strategies, substantive cooperation." The two leaders agreed that Viet Nam and India are among the world's fastest-growing economies, with a high degree of complementarity and substantial potential for cooperation. They expressed their resovel to step up measures to soon achieve the trade goal of US$25 billion and facilitate market access for products of the two countries, particularly pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, fishery and livestock products. The two leaders discussed important issues concerning the establishment of economic corridors and supply chai