President Xi urges cooperation in AI at New Delhi’s BRICS Summit

President Xi Jinping arrives in New Delhi for the

18th BRICS Summit as he announces China will assume

the bloc's presidency next year and host of the 19th

edition of the summit.

This as BRICS nation leaders gather for bilateral talks

ahead of the summit.

President Xi Jinping arrives in New Delhi, India

to attend the 18th BRICS Summit

at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Senior Indian officials were on hand to greet Xi

at New Delhi's Palam Air Force Station.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau

of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director

of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi,

a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee

and Chinese Foreign Minister, accompany the Chinese leader.

Meeting with Modi, Xi announces China will assume

the BRICS presidency next year and will host the 19th BRICS Summit.

He also calls on BRICS to oppose violations of other countries

sovereignty, interference in their internal affairs and urges the

bloc to play a "pioneering role in maintaining peace and stability."

Earlier, Modi held bilateral talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian

and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin, who arrived a day earlier, held separate meetings with

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Putin and Modi discussed cooperation in political, economic, defence and energy

sectors, according to the Indian Foreign Ministry.

Speaking after his meeting with the South African delegation, Putin says his country

attaches "great importance" to its relationship with African nations as a whole

and is preparing for a third Russian-African Summit set to take off in Moscow

this October.

Putin tells el-Sisi that Russia takes "Egypt's stance into account" in their own policy making.

In an interview with Russian State media following these pre-summit bilateral meetings

Putin says Russia does not pose a threat to Europe though

warning European nations against sending troops into Ukrainian territory.

He says such action by European nations will push "the people of their

own country toward war with Russia."

The BRICS acronym comes from the names of its founding members

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which joined soon after.

Since 2006, the bloc has expanded to include 11 countries that make

up about half the world's population.

This year's summit will focus on trade, investment and global conflicts, as

the bloc seeks a bigger role in shaping the global agenda for

emerging and developing countries.