New Delhi, September 11: Russian President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, shortly after arriving in India to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit.The meeting was held at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the upcoming summit.
The Kremlin confirmed the talks but did not immediately disclose details about the issues discussed or the outcome of the meeting.Putin arrived in the national capital ahead of the two-day BRICS gathering scheduled for September 12 and 13.
His visit comes amid continued efforts by India and Russia to strengthen their longstanding strategic partnership.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov had earlier underlined the importance Moscow attaches to the personal rapport between Putin and Modi. He said informal exchanges between the two leaders remain valuable in maintaining the relationship between the two countries.
India and Russia have traditionally maintained close cooperation in areas including defence, energy, trade and diplomacy. Their engagement has continued despite significant changes in the global geopolitical environment.
The Modi-Putin meeting also provides an opportunity for the two sides to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as wider international developments.
The BRICS Summit is expected to bring together leaders from member countries for discussions on economic cooperation, global governance, trade, investment and other international issues.Putin is also scheduled to hold meetings with several other leaders during his stay in New Delhi.
According to the Russian side, these include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The Russian president’s participation in the BRICS Summit highlights Moscow’s continued engagement with the grouping and its members.
For India, the visit provides an opportunity to maintain high-level dialogue with Russia while hosting one of the world’s major multilateral gatherings.
The outcome of the Modi-Putin discussions and the broader BRICS deliberations is expected to be closely watched for indications of future cooperation between India, Russia and other member countries.
