Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit. This is his first visit to India since becoming president. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also arrived in Delhi and is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 6:15 pm on Friday. The discussions are expected to cover India-Iran relations as well as regional and global issues.
Before arriving in India, Pezeshkian spoke about the importance of BRICS and issues related to the global financial system. He said the BRICS bank was created to help member countries reduce their dependence on the dollar and counter efforts to maintain US dominance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi late Thursday night. Minister of State for External Affairs K V Singh received him at the airport. He was subsequently given a guard of honour, after which his convoy left for the ITC Maurya hotel.
Putin is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 3:30 pm on Friday. The meeting is expected to cover the India-Russia strategic partnership, along with defence, nuclear energy, trade and payment-related issues.
Russia’s offer to produce Su-57 fighter jets in India and share the necessary technology is also expected to be discussed. Defence cooperation could therefore be among the key subjects of the meeting.
Defence cooperation is expected to feature prominently during Putin’s visit. Russia has offered to produce Su-57 fighter jets in India and share the required technology.
India and Russia have a long history of defence cooperation. During the BRICS Summit held in Goa in 2016, the two countries agreed on a deal for the S-400 air defence system.
The supply of the remaining S-400 systems and issues related to their maintenance could be part of the discussions this time. The upgrade of Su-30MKI fighter aircraft may also be discussed. Under the ‘Super Sukhoi’ programme, the aircraft are planned to receive improved radars and new weapons.
The BrahMos missile programme is another important area of India-Russia defence cooperation. The two countries are preparing to work together on a new, lighter version of the missile.
BrahMos-NG is a key part of this cooperation. It will be lighter than the existing BrahMos and can also be launched from fighter aircraft such as the Tejas. Defence production, technology sharing and joint defence programmes could therefore feature in the discussions between Putin and Modi.
Nuclear energy is another potential focus of the India-Russia talks. Russian state-owned company Rosatom is working on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India. The two countries could also discuss the possibility of setting up new nuclear power plants in India using Russian technology.
India and Russia may additionally explore cooperation on developing small-sized nuclear reactors. These reactors are smaller than large nuclear power plants.
Increasing trade in local currencies could also be discussed. India and Russia are seeking to increase trade in rupees and roubles instead of dollars. The arrangement could facilitate payments between the two countries and reduce dependence on the dollar.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said that Russia was not seeking to eliminate the dollar but was open to easier payment mechanisms. He had said that around 90% of Russia’s trade with BRICS countries was being conducted in local currencies.
India and Russia also have accumulated funds in each other’s currencies. The two sides could discuss ways to use these funds and facilitate payments in rupees and roubles.
Connectivity is another important issue for expanding trade between India and Russia. The two countries could discuss advancing the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route.
The INSTC connects India with Russia through Iran. It is an important trade connectivity route and can play a role in strengthening transport links between India, Iran and Russia.
The Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route is expected to reduce the time required to transport goods between India and Russia’s eastern region from around 40 days to 20-22 days.
Putin’s security and transport convoy had reached Delhi ahead of his arrival. Three Russian transport aircraft arrived at Noida’s Jewar Airport on Thursday, including an IL-76 aircraft.
The Aurus Senat armoured limousine used by the Russian president also arrived in India. Putin’s IL-96-300PU aircraft, known as the ‘Flying Kremlin’, is used as a mobile presidential command centre.
In Delhi, Putin’s close security will be handled by Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO), while Indian agencies will manage the outer security perimeter. His food will also be separately inspected, and Russia will use its own chefs.
A second Russian IL-96 special flight carrying diplomats had already arrived in Delhi. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has also arrived in India.
Several prominent global leaders are in Delhi for the BRICS Summit. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also arrived in Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. Union Minister Dr Sukanta Majumdar received him at the airport.
India is also holding a series of bilateral meetings with various countries during the summit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira at Hyderabad House. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and global issues.
Indian cuisine has also been given special importance for guests attending BRICS-related events. A special Indian menu prepared for guests at The Lalit hotel in Delhi gives prominence to millets.
Pezeshkian’s and Putin’s visits to India are taking place as the BRICS platform remains important for global diplomacy and economic cooperation. Pezeshkian’s first India visit as president is significant for India-Iran relations.
The meeting between Putin and Modi is expected to cover defence, nuclear energy, trade, local-currency payments and transport corridors. These issues are relevant to India-Russia relations.
The high-level meetings taking place during the BRICS Summit are being closely watched internationally, with discussions expected to cover regional security, economic cooperation and the changing global order.
