India invites Nepal and Bangladesh to BRICS Summit outreach sessions

India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi next month. As part of the summit's outreach sessions, India has extended invitations to non-member neighbors Nepal and Bangladesh.

This move is viewed as an effort to strengthen regional connectivity and bolster the collective participation of South Asian nations within the Global South. The inclusion of Bangladesh is particularly notable as it currently holds the chairmanship of BIMSTEC, a regional organization of which Nepal is also a member.

The summit, themed ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability’, arrives during a period of global geopolitical tension. For Bangladesh, the upcoming engagement involves both regional responsibilities and complex bilateral dynamics, including discussions regarding diplomatic relations and the extradition of former leadership figures.