Sitharaman thanks Russia, Indonesia for support after Pahalgam attack

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has expressed gratitude to her Russian and Indonesian counterparts for their governments’ support following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, as she held a series of high-level bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

In talks with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Sitharaman thanked President Vladimir Putin for his solidarity. She highlighted the “exemplary level of mutual trust and understanding” in the India-Russia relationship, reaffirming that the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership remains “resilient and steadfast”. The two ministers also discussed financial cooperation, the New Development Bank (NDB) and India’s continued engagement through BRICS, especially in advancing South-South cooperation. Sitharaman congratulated Russia on its successful 2024 BRICS chairship.

Meeting Indonesia’s Vice Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono, Sitharaman once again appreciated Jakarta’s support post-Pahalgam. The discussion built on momentum from President Prabowo’s visit to India as Chief Guest at the 76th Republic Day. She said India looks forward to hosting the Indonesia Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) soon. Key areas of cooperation included digital payments (UPI, RuPay), FinTech, tourism, MDB reforms and bilateral trade.

In her meeting with Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, Sitharaman said India and China, as the world’s largest and fastest-growing major economies, have the potential to jointly drive inclusive global growth. She noted their shared civilisational heritage, economic heft and human capital, suggesting deeper bilateral engagement could help amplify the Global South’s voice and reshape global narratives more equitably.

With Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, Sitharaman reaffirmed India’s support for Brazil’s BRICS agenda and commended its push for a multipolar world order. They discussed climate finance, COP30 preparations and multilateral cooperation through platforms such as the G20, WTO, UN and IBSA. Sitharaman said India hopes to continue Brazil’s outcome-oriented approach when it assumes the BRICS chair in January 2026.

India