Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-day visit to Russia to attend the sixteenth edition of the BRICS Summit, which is taking place in Kazan, Russia, from Tuesday, October 22. This visit comes at a pivotal moment for the BRICS grouping, as it navigates the challenges of expansion and global uncertainty.
At the heart of PM Modi’s visit is a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled to take place on the summit’s sidelines. This meeting will offer an opportunity for both leaders to discuss key issues affecting their bilateral relationship, as well as pressing global concerns.
Adding further weight to the summit, there are also reports that PM Modi may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This potential meeting would be highly significant, given the ongoing tensions between India and China. The interaction could potentially offer a platform for dialogue and a path towards easing tensions between the two Asian giants.
The BRICS Summit itself, themed ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,’ will provide a forum for leaders to address key global issues, including economic cooperation, climate change, and reformed multilateralism.
India, as a founding member of BRICS, is committed to the bloc’s principles of economic cooperation and its role in shaping the global development agenda. As India’s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, has emphasized, there’s a growing interest in the international community, particularly from the Global South, in collaborating with BRICS. India’s participation in the BRICS Summit is a testament to its commitment to this partnership and its role in shaping the future of this influential intergovernmental organization.