New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia on October 22-23 to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit. During his trip, he will engage in bilateral discussions with leaders from both BRICS member countries and other invited nations, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs.
This visit marks PM Modi's second trip to Russia this year. The upcoming summit is significant as it will be the first since the group's expansion to nine members, with Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE joining after their memberships were approved at the 2023 summit in South Africa. Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also invited; however, Argentina declined the invitation due to a change in government, while Saudi Arabia is yet to respond.
Invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, PM Modi will attend the summit in Kazan, which will be chaired by Russia. The theme for this year is "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security," providing a platform for leaders to address pressing global issues. The summit will also assess the progress of various initiatives launched by BRICS and explore potential areas for future collaboration.
During his visit, PM Modi is anticipated to hold meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member nations and other invited leaders in Kazan.
According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, the Kazan summit will feature leaders from 24 countries and delegations from a total of 32 nations, marking it as the largest foreign policy event ever hosted in Russia.
In addition to the main BRICS meeting, there will be discussions in the BRICS+ format centered on the theme "BRICS and the Global South: Building the Future of the World Together," involving representatives from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
All top leaders from member countries, including seven Presidents and two Prime Ministers, will attend. Notable guests will also include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders from aspiring nations such as Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan.
