Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on Friday, September 11, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
The meeting was confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during a virtual briefing with Indian media on Tuesday. Peskov said Moscow was looking forward to another meeting between the Russian President and the Indian Prime Minister during Putin's visit to India.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: Modi-Putin bilateral meeting ahead of BRICS
Location: New Delhi, India
Authority/Organisation: Government of India / Kremlin
Action Taken: Bilateral meeting scheduled for September 11
Impact: Opportunity to strengthen India-Russia strategic, economic and defence cooperation
Peskov said the two leaders would first discuss the bilateral agenda, with trade and economic cooperation forming a broad area of discussion. The meeting comes at a time when India-Russia ties remain focused on strengthening cooperation in defence, energy, trade and other strategic sectors.
The bilateral talks will take place just before the BRICS Leaders' Summit, which is scheduled in New Delhi from September 12 to 13. Putin's visit will therefore provide an opportunity for both leaders to review the state of the India-Russia strategic partnership as well as discuss regional and global developments.
Defence cooperation is also expected to remain an important area of engagement. Recent reports indicate that discussions could include the Su-57 fighter aircraft, nuclear energy cooperation and other defence-related issues. Russia and India are also exploring an upgrade of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, according to Peskov.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The meeting comes at an important point for India-Russia relations, with both countries seeking to expand cooperation in trade, defence, energy and emerging technologies while navigating major geopolitical shifts. The talks could also provide a platform for the two sides to review sensitive strategic issues and identify new areas of bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on major international developments, including the Ukraine conflict and the wider geopolitical situation. Moscow has welcomed India's position favouring dialogue and peaceful efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
The meeting follows the two leaders' recent interaction on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, where they reviewed cooperation in political, economic, defence, energy, space and people-to-people areas. Modi had also invited Putin to India for the BRICS Summit during that meeting.
