TEHRAN -- Iran’s deputy culture minister, Mohsen Javadi, has called culture a potential common language between nations at the 11th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting, which opened in Bhopal, India, on Saturday. 
Speaking as Iran’s representative at the two-day meeting, Javadi said culture could play a central role in promoting peace and addressing economic and political challenges.
“If we are seeking peace, stability and solutions to economic and political problems, culture can be the only common and effective language among nations,” Javadi said, according to IRNA.
The meeting is being held under the theme “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, bringing together culture ministers and representatives of BRICS member states. 
India is hosting the 2026 BRICS program, with cultural cooperation forming part of the wider organization’s efforts to strengthen exchanges across the Global South. India’s Ministry of Culture has previously identified areas including the arts, museums and galleries, cultural heritage, literature, puppetry and theatre as fields for BRICS cooperation.
Javadi was formally received by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, India’s minister of culture and tourism. Shekhawat is serving as India’s culture minister during the 2026 BRICS cultural program.
The Iranian delegation held meetings with representatives and culture ministers from other BRICS countries ahead of the gathering, focusing on cultural and artistic exchanges, according to Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
The Bhopal meeting runs through Sunday. The next BRICS leaders’ summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi in September.