Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia on October 22-23, 2024, to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit, which will be held in Kazan under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chairmanship. This year’s summit holds particular significance as it marks the first gathering of the expanded BRICS bloc, which now includes Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE.
With the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,” the summit will focus on key global challenges, including economic cooperation, security, and reforming global governance structures. It will also feature discussions in the BRICS+ format, engaging leaders from several other nations, including Turkey, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
During his visit, Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with BRICS leaders, including Putin, with whom India has deepened ties, especially in trade and energy. The Russian leader noted that the BRICS bloc is expected to drive a significant portion of global economic growth in the coming years, highlighting the importance of cooperation between member nations.
This summit follows Modi’s earlier visit to Moscow in July, and the upcoming bilaterals will provide both India and Russia an opportunity to review progress on past agreements. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov emphasized the historic scale of the event, calling it the “largest foreign policy event ever held in Russia” with delegations from 32 nations.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked that the summit presents an important platform to assess BRICS’ growing role in global governance and explore future collaboration. Meanwhile, experts anticipate that the expanding BRICS bloc will continue to challenge the dominance of Western economies in the international arena.
