Uganda’s Vice President, Jessica Alupo, has arrived in New Delhi, India, to lead Uganda’s delegation to the 18th BRICS Summit, where Uganda is participating as a partner country.
Alupo arrived on Friday and was received by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Jayant Chaudhary, before being welcomed with a traditional cultural dance performance.
Her arrival comes ahead of the two-day BRICS Leaders’ Summit scheduled for September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The summit brings together leaders and senior representatives from the expanded BRICS grouping, its partner countries and invited delegations as India seeks to advance its agenda under the 2026 chairship.
India is chairing BRICS under the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with discussions expected to focus on global governance, economic cooperation, trade and investment, technology, energy and food security, sustainable development and strengthening the voice of the Global South.
The expanded BRICS bloc currently comprises 11 member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The grouping now represents almost half of the world’s population and about 40 percent of the global economy in purchasing power parity terms.
Uganda has participated as a BRICS partner country since January 2025. Its engagement with the grouping is centred on expanding investment opportunities, strengthening technology partnerships, improving market access and advancing cooperation on national and development priorities.
For Uganda, the New Delhi summit provides an opportunity to engage with some of the world’s major emerging economies while positioning the country to benefit from wider trade, investment, technology and development partnerships.
The summit also comes at a time when BRICS is seeking to strengthen cooperation among developing and emerging economies amid growing geopolitical and economic tensions.
Among the issues receiving attention is the future of global financial cooperation. India has been pushing for greater interoperability of digital payment systems among BRICS countries, including a proposal to explore links between central bank digital currencies to facilitate faster cross-border transactions.
The summit is also expected to address global conflicts, trade disruptions, energy security and reforms to international institutions. Leaders from major BRICS members, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are attending the New Delhi gathering.
The 2026 summit is expected to conclude with a New Delhi Declaration outlining areas of agreement and future cooperation. Proposals under discussion include initiatives on start-up innovation, supply-chain cooperation and stronger economic and technological links among participating countries.
Alupo’s participation places Uganda among the partner countries engaging directly with an increasingly influential platform that is seeking a greater role for emerging economies in shaping global economic and political affairs.
The Vice President is also expected to use her presence in New Delhi to advance Uganda’s bilateral and economic interests as the country seeks deeper cooperation with India and other BRICS members.