The two-day summit, to be held in Gurugram on June 25 and 26, will review the achievements and initiatives of BRICS members in sustainable energy development and discuss cooperation opportunities within the grouping. Paknejad is set to meet India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas to explore bilateral capacity in the energy sector.

The Iranian minister will also hold separate meetings with a number of his counterparts from BRICS member states. Iran’s focus is on maximising cooperation with India and expanding bilateral energy ties, according to the oil ministry.

BRICS brings together 11 major emerging markets and developing economies: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The bloc’s agenda has expanded from its initial economic focus to cover political and security issues, financial and economic cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, spanning areas from counter-terrorism to climate change, energy and food security, and trade.

The meeting comes as Iran resumes oil exports following the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade and the issuance of a 60-day OFAC general licence for Iranian oil and petrochemical sales under the Bürgenstock agreement.

DID