Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, 26 October 2026, met Ana Maria Mari Machado, Vice-President of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State, in New Delhi to discuss deepening parliamentary exchanges, capacity building, and bilateral cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The meeting, held on the eve of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026, underscored the growing strategic warmth between India and Cuba within the BRICS framework.

Key Developments from the Meeting

Both sides reaffirmed that stronger parliamentary engagement would reinforce the longstanding bonds of friendship and solidarity between the two nations. Birla, in a post on X, described the discussion as centred on BRICS' role in advancing the priorities of the Global South. 'Emphasising BRICS' role in advancing the priorities of the Global South, reaffirmed that closer parliamentary engagement will further strengthen the longstanding bonds of friendship and solidarity between India and Cuba,' he wrote.

The emphasis on healthcare and pharmaceuticals is notable: India is among the world's top generic medicine exporters, and Cuba has long maintained a globally recognised public health infrastructure. Closer cooperation between the two could yield concrete outcomes in drug supply and medical training.

About the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026

The forum is scheduled for 26–27 October 2026 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, hosted by the Indian Parliament under India's BRICS chairship. It will bring together Presiding Officers, parliamentary leaders, Union Ministers, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Presiding Officers of State Legislatures, Members of Parliament, and other dignitaries from BRICS member and partner countries.

A preparatory meeting of delegation Secretaries was convened on 25 October to finalise the Joint Statement of the forum. The central theme is people-centric development and enhanced parliamentary cooperation across the bloc.

PM Modi to Attend; Bilateral Meetings on Sidelines

Birla confirmed at a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the forum and hold separate meetings with heads of visiting delegations. The forum will also feature parliamentary friendship group interactions and bilateral parleys on the sidelines.

Birla described the event as 'a new chapter in the history of India's parliamentary diplomacy,' signalling the Centre's intent to use the BRICS platform for structured legislative outreach beyond executive-level diplomacy.

India-Cuba Diplomatic Context

This is not an isolated engagement. In May 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, where the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation in health, development initiatives, and capacity building. The Birla-Machado meeting builds on that momentum, shifting the dialogue from executive to legislative channels — a broadening of the India-Cuba relationship that analysts say reflects Havana's importance as a Latin American partner in the Global South coalition.

What Comes Next

The Joint Statement of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, expected after the two-day meeting on 27 October 2026, will set the agenda for inter-parliamentary cooperation among BRICS nations through the year ahead. Progress on the healthcare and pharmaceuticals framework between India and Cuba is likely to feature in the margins of those deliberations.