Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi in the wee hours of Friday ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting this weekend, setting the stage for a series of high-level meetings and discussions on trade, energy, finance and global geopolitical issues.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Putin in a post on X, describing India-Russia ties as “multifaceted and longstanding”. He said the relationship is anchored in the two countries’ “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”. The Russian President’s arrival marks an important moment for the India-Russia strategic partnership, with his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for Friday. “Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport. India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” Jaiswal wrote.
The Russian President is undertaking a working visit to India, with the main BRICS Summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13 under India’s chairship, according to the Kremlin.
Putin’s first major bilateral engagement during the summit will be with Prime Minister Modi on September 11. “On September 11, Vladimir Putin will address the plenary session of the annual BRICS Business Forum, which traditionally precedes the summit and serves as an important platform for dialogue among business representatives from BRICS countries.
The Kremlin said Putin will also visit the INNOPROM exhibition along with Prime Minister Modi. On the same day, the President of Russia will hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, together with him, visit the INNOPROM exhibition, organised by the two countries’ ministries of industry and trade,” the Kremlin statement said. The two leaders are expected to discuss issues including strategic trade resilience, cross-border payment mechanisms and energy security. The exhibition has been organised by the industry and trade ministries of Russia and India.
