Delhi is preparing for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival after Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Delhi early Friday for BRICS summit amid heightened security. With Xi Jinping’s landing scheduled for 12 September, 12:25 PM, elaborate arrangements are in place, including fortified accommodations and multi-level security.
Both the leaders are expected to grace Delhi roads with the largest motorcades. Though security and have been kept on high alert along the entire route from the airport to the hotels and from the hotels to Bharat Mandapam, but special security arrangements have been made for these guests.
Xi Jinping’s will also arrive at Palam Air Force Station and head to Taj hotel while Vladimir Putin’s 3-day stay is in Maurya hotel, India Today reported. Xi Jinping’s security team is already in Delhi, handling security arrangement at his designated hotel.
Special security teams from both countries have already arrived in Delhi and are handling security arrangements at the respective hotels. Foreign security teams equipped with and security equipment are deployed on all floors of the hotel complex where Xi Jinping will stay. Similar arrangements are in place where Putin is staying.
Besides fortifying the places of stay of heads of state, authorities conducted several route rehearsals to assess the security arrangements. Delhi Traffic Police has imposed traffic diversions and restrictions due to which regulated vehicular movement will be in place across key routes of the national capital from 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM today.
Over 35 roads have been identified for regulated movement and 22 diversion points have been designated across Delhi. In view of movement of , Delhi Police has deployed nearly 4,800 traffic personnel for summit arrangements.
For Russian heads of state, a four-layer security has been deployed. The first security layer comprises the Close Protection Team (CPT) to ensure Putin’s protection in close proximity at all times, the news outlet said. The second layer forms the inner security circle, comprising senior Delhi Police officers. The next security layer, called middle circle, comprises Delhi Police commandos and personnel from paramilitary forces. Local police is in charge of security arrangement of the outermost circle. Heavy police surveillance, covering premises outside the hotel and across the surrounding area form a part of this outermost security layer.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that several other top leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will participate in the summit. The two-day Summit guided by the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” will see leaders exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.
