PM Modi to Attend BRICS Summit in Russia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, last year. (File Pic/PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia from October 22-23 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, reported news agency ANI.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the BRICS Summit in Kazan is being held under the chairmanship of Russia. During his visit to Kazan, PM Modi is anticipated to hold bilateral discussions with fellow leaders from BRICS nations and other invited leaders.

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"The Summit, themed "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security," will provide an important platform for leaders to discuss key global issues," said the MEA.

The MEA further said, "The Summit will offer a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of initiatives launched by BRICS and to identify potential areas for future collaboration."

The BRIC group, which originally included Brazil, Russia, India, and China, first convened in St. Petersburg in 2006. The inaugural BRIC summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.

In September 2010, South Africa was welcomed as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers' meeting in New York leading to the rebranding of the group as BRICS.

This coalition represents major emerging economies, accounting for approximately 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of global GDP, and over 16 per cent of world trade.

Earlier this September, President Putin extended an invitation to PM Modi for a bilateral meeting on October 22. Putin referred to Modi as a "good friend" during a meeting with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at the Constantine Palace in Russia's St. Petersburg.

Quoting President Putin, the Kremlin in a statement said, "We will be expecting Mr Modi in Kazan. I also suggest holding a bilateral meeting there on October 22 in order to close the books on our joint work in implementing the agreements reached during his visit to Moscow and outline some prospects for the near future."

"Please extend my warmest regards and best wishes to Mr Modi, my good friend," the statement added.

This will mark PM Modi's second trip to Russia in 2024; he previously attended the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in July.

During that visit, he was honoured with Russia's highest civilian award, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, at the Kremlin. The two leaders visited the Rosatom Pavilion at the VDNKh Exhibition Centre in Moscow.

(With inputs from ANI)