The 16th BRICS Summit is set to take place in Kazan, Russia, on October 22-23, under Russia’s chairmanship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend and is expected to hold bilateral talks with leaders of the BRICS member nations.
One of the most anticipated meetings could be between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders last met during the BRICS Summit in South Africa last year. As India and China relations remain strained, the potential face-to-face in Kazan is drawing significant global attention.
In an interview with ANI, Indian Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s primary focus will be his participation in the BRICS summit. Alongside this, he is scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings. Kumar confirmed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is finalized. “Some other meetings may take place once scheduling issues are resolved,” he added.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday sidestepped questions about a potential meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
“We will keep you posted if anything comes up,” PTI quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian as saying during a media briefing.
Earlier, Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Chinese President Xi will participate in both small-group and large-group meetings, attend the BRICS Plus Dialogue, and deliver key addresses.
Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kazan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Monday in New Delhi that Indian and Chinese negotiators have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Beijing has not yet responded to the agreement announced by Misri.
Relations between India and China have been strained since the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, the most serious military conflict between the two nations in decades.
BRICS, initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has expanded with new members, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. This year’s summit theme is “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security.”
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