Modi, Putin hold bilateral talks ahead of BRICS summit
The two leaders are expected to focus on trade, defence, energy and other areas of bilateral cooperation
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in New Delhi today (11 September), a day before the BRICS summit, with the two countries looking to deepen cooperation in trade, defence and energy.
The meeting at Bharat Mandapam lasted about 45 minutes, according to the supplied report. Discussions were expected to include plans to raise annual bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 and expand cooperation in defence, energy and critical minerals.
The two sides were also expected to discuss civil nuclear cooperation, including fuel-cycle and life-cycle support.
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Putin arrived in New Delhi earlier in the day for the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled for 12-13 September. India is hosting the summit as the grouping seeks to strengthen its role amid tensions over the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Moscow and New Delhi were exploring upgrades to BrahMos missiles.
He also said Russia remained committed to completing its remaining S-400 deliveries and was discussing the possible supply of Su-57 fighter jets to India.
Energy cooperation has also remained a key area of the bilateral relationship, while the two countries are looking at further cooperation in civil nuclear power.
The talks came less than two weeks after Modi and Putin met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek on 31 August. During that meeting, they reviewed cooperation
in political, economic, defence, energy, space and other areas, while Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward in resolving conflicts.
The BRICS summit will bring together the grouping's 11 member countries in New Delhi on 12-13 September. The members are Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
The summit is taking place amid the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which has created divisions within BRICS, particularly between Iran and the UAE. The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude oil prices above $100 a barrel.
The expanded grouping is also expected to discuss economic cooperation and efforts to strengthen its role in global affairs, as members navigate their differing positions on major geopolitical conflicts.
