National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Iran's Deputy Secretary for Defense Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council, Ghadir Nezamipour, on Monday to discuss the ongoing situation in West Asia and bilateral cooperation. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers Meeting being hosted by India in New Delhi on June 22-23, 2026.
Key Discussions on West Asia and BRICS Cooperation
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "NSA Ajit Doval, KC met Deputy Secretary for Defense Affairs of the SNSC of Iran, Ghadir Nezamipour on 22 June 2026 on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS NSAs Meeting. Both sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia. They also discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform and India-Iran bilateral ties."
Doval also held a separate meeting with Million Lema Tadesse, Executive Director of Analysis at the National Intelligence and Security Service of Ethiopia. Jaiswal noted that both sides explored areas of cooperation to enhance and deepen the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership.
BRICS NSA Meeting Agenda
India is hosting the BRICS National Security Advisers Meeting, where participants will exchange views on the theme 'Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today.' According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting will address the rapidly evolving nature of national security challenges and the role of new technologies in emerging security threats. The NSAs will also review outcomes of the recently held BRICS Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism and on Security in the use of Information and Communication Technologies.
India holds the BRICS Chairship for the fourth time in 2026, having previously held it in 2012, 2016, and 2021. The chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit.
BRICS Membership and Scope
BRICS brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The platform serves as a forum for consultation and cooperation on contemporary issues of global and regional significance, including political and economic governance. The official BRICS 2026 website highlights that the agenda has expanded from its initial focus on economic issues to three core pillars: political and security, economy and finance, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Cooperation now spans counter-terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, international economic and financial situation, telecommunications, agriculture, labour and employment, international financial architecture, trade, and the WTO.
