Putin Lands in Delhi for BRICS Summit as India-Russia Ties Take Centre Stage
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi early Friday for a three-day visit that will include his participation in the 18th BRICS Summit and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin was welcomed at the capital by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs.
The visit is notable as it marks Putin’s first physical participation in a BRICS summit outside Russia since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.
The summit is taking place amid several major international challenges, including the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, instability in West Asia, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the trade and tariff policies of the Trump administration.
A number of prominent international leaders are expected to attend the gathering. They include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.
Putin’s schedule on Friday includes an address at the BRICS Business Forum, an important platform that brings together business representatives from member countries.
He is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi for bilateral discussions and visit the Innoprom exhibition, organised by the Indian and Russian ministries responsible for industry and trade.
The bilateral talks are expected to cover several areas, including defence, energy, technology, pharmaceuticals and stronger people-to-people connections.
The main BRICS summit programme will begin on September 12. Leaders will discuss proposals put forward by India during its chairship, along with ways to strengthen cooperation among BRICS nations in areas such as security, politics, trade, finance and humanitarian affairs.