New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a two-day visit (October 22-23) to Kazan, Russia, for the 16th BRICS Summit. This marks the group’s first summit since its expansion last year. The BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (added in 2010), recently expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
What’s on the Agenda?
As India sees BRICS as vital for promoting global multipolarity and addressing worldwide challenges, PM Modi will lead the main discussions on Wednesday. Additionally, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized that the grouping serves as an essential platform to address various global issues while helping to shape a fairer, more inclusive, and open international order.
Reports suggest that the summit will see the adoption of the Kazan Declaration, which will outline the future direction for BRICS cooperation. PM Modi will engage with various world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.
The Indian Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral talks with some BRICS leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, with discussions likely to include the Ukraine conflict. Although there is no official confirmation, speculation suggests that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping may also hold a bilateral meeting on the summit’s sidelines.
This visit comes as India aims to build on the $100 billion bilateral trade target with Russia by 2030, a goal established during PM Modi’s last visit to Russia in July. A significant meeting in November, led by the Indian External Affairs Minister and Russia’s Deputy PM, will set new sectoral trade targets, according to ANI.
