NEW DELHI, India โ Ugandaโs Vice President Jessica Alupo joined world leaders for the official family photograph at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where she represented President Yoweri Museveni at the high-level international gathering.
The symbolic family photo brought together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, invited outreach nations, and heads of international organisations. Among those present were Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Luiz Inรกcio Lula da Silva, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, African Union Chairperson รvariste Ndayishimiye, and United Nations Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres. 
Alupoโs participation highlighted Ugandaโs growing engagement with the BRICS bloc, where the country holds Partner State status. Uganda officially joined as a BRICS Partner State on January 1, 2025, becoming the first East African nation to be associated with the grouping in any capacity.
As a Partner State, Uganda is able to participate in BRICS meetings, ministerial engagements, economic discussions, and other areas of cooperation, although the status falls short of full membership. The partnership offers Uganda an important avenue to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with some of the worldโs leading emerging economies.
The relationship is expected to create opportunities for Ugandan exports such as coffee, tea, and other agricultural products, while also encouraging investment in local value addition and processing industries. This aligns with Ugandaโs broader goal of moving beyond the export of raw commodities and promoting domestic industrial growth.
Indiaโs 2026 BRICS chairship is being conducted under the theme โBuilding for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,โ emphasizing a people-centred and humanity-first approach championed by Prime Minister Modi.
Ugandaโs participation in the New Delhi summit places the country within global discussions on trade, investment, technology, sustainable development, and reforms to international governance. For Kampala, the BRICS partnership provides an additional diplomatic and economic platform to advance national interests while strengthening relations with emerging global powers.
