Putin to Arrive in India Friday for Three-Day Visit to Attend BRICS Summit
Russian leader to meet PM Modi and hold talks with several global leaders on summit sidelines
MOSCOW, Sept 10: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in India early Friday for a three-day visit during which he will participate in the 18th BRICS Summit and hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Thursday.
Putin is scheduled to address the plenary session of the BRICS Business Forum on Friday. The annual gathering traditionally takes place ahead of the leaders’ summit and provides a platform for business representatives from member countries to discuss economic cooperation and opportunities.
Later in the day, Putin will meet Modi for bilateral talks and accompany the Indian prime minister to the Innoprom exhibition, organised jointly by the industry and trade ministries of the two countries, Ushakov said.
The main summit programme will commence on September 12 with a meeting of BRICS leaders. Discussions are expected to focus on initiatives advanced under India’s chairship and ways to further strengthen the group’s strategic partnership in areas including politics and security, trade and finance, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
The leaders are also expected to exchange views on pressing international and regional developments.
An expanded BRICS session on Sunday will bring together heads of delegations from member and partner countries, along with representatives of invited nations and international organisations.
Putin is also scheduled to meet several leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Ushakov said multilateral gatherings such as the BRICS summit traditionally provide an opportunity for leaders to hold bilateral discussions, with several such meetings planned during Putin’s visit.
No separate full format meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping has been scheduled during the New Delhi summit. However, the two leaders are expected to have an informal interaction, described by Ushakov as a possible “pull-aside meeting.”
