PM Modi to visit Russia from October 22-23 to attend Brics summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia during October 22-23 to attend the Brics Summit, the external affairs ministry announced on Friday amid growing speculation about the possibility of a meeting between the Indian and Chinese leaders on the margins of the event.
Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit to be held in Kazan, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. China’s foreign ministry announced on Friday that President Xi Jinping will attend the summit being chaired by Russia.
Speculation has grown in diplomatic circles about a possible meeting between Modi and Ji on the margins of the Brics Summit following a string of meetings of diplomats to address the dragging military standoff on the Line of Actual Control, which is well into its fifth year. The face-off has taken India-China ties to a six-decade low, with New Delhi saying the overall relationship can’t be normalised without peace and tranquillity on the border.
The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs has met in July and August, and the two sides agreed at the last meeting to intensify contacts through diplomatic and military channels to narrow down differences and find an early resolution of outstanding issues on the LAC.
There has been no official word yet from India or China about a meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
The external affairs ministry said Modi will visit Russia at Putin’s invitation to attend the Brics Summit, the theme for which is “Strengthening multilateralism for just global development and security”.
The summit will allow leaders to discuss key global issues, and also offer an opportunity to assess progress in initiatives launched by Brics and to identify potential areas for future collaboration, the ministry said.