Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit. His official aircraft landed at Delhi airport, where Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh formally received him on behalf of the Indian government.
New Delhi is hosting international leaders for the 18th BRICS Summit. Putin arrived in the capital as part of the summit proceedings and was formally welcomed following the landing of his special aircraft. Kirti Vardhan Singh received the Russian president at the airport.
During his visit, Putin will participate in the BRICS Summit and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting is expected to cover issues including trade, energy, defence and economic cooperation.
India and Russia have continued cooperation across various sectors under their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. In addition to defence and energy cooperation, ties between the two countries have developed in areas including trade, space, technology and transport.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said following Putin’s arrival that the Russian president had been welcomed for the 18th BRICS Summit. He highlighted the multifaceted and long-term relationship between India and Russia.
The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin is taking place as both countries seek to further expand their bilateral economic ties. The two sides may focus on increasing trade, strengthening energy cooperation and exploring new opportunities in strategic sectors.
Putin’s visit to India comes after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. Amid various sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries, Moscow has focused on strengthening economic and strategic cooperation with India.
Prime Minister Modi and Putin recently met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. During that meeting, the two leaders reviewed the progress of India-Russia relations.
The discussions also covered issues related to trade, defence, energy, space and transport. The two leaders also exchanged views on ongoing conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.
Ahead of the Russian president’s visit, the Kremlin indicated that the two countries could discuss new areas of cooperation. These include rare earth elements and the defence sector.
According to Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the possible sale of Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter jet to India could also be included in the discussions. Any significant progress in this direction would be a step in defence cooperation between the two countries.
