PM Modi to attend 16th BRICS summit in Russia: What’s on agenda?

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Kazan, Russia on Tuesday (October 22) to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit. This marks the first summit for the group since its expansion last year. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (which joined in 2010), BRICS has recently welcomed Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates into its fold.

Here are the key points on the agenda

• PM Modi will attend the summit in Kazan, with significant discussions planned for Wednesday.
• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized that India considers BRICS essential for promoting global multipolarity and addressing international challenges, as reported by PTI.
• The grouping serves as a crucial platform for tackling a variety of global issues while contributing to the establishment of a fairer and more inclusive international order.
• Leaders at the summit are expected to adopt the Kazan Declaration, which will outline the future direction for BRICS cooperation.
• Modi will engage with various world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, and is anticipated to hold bilateral discussions with several BRICS counterparts.
• A bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned, during which they are likely to address the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
• Although not officially confirmed, there is speculation regarding a possible bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the summit’s sidelines.
• India is keen to build on its goal of reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade with Russia by 2030, a target established during Modi’s visit to Russia in July. A significant meeting in November will aim to set new sector-specific trade objectives, led by the External Affairs Minister and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, according to ANI.
• Strengthening cultural ties and fostering people-to-people exchanges, particularly in Indian studies and film, remains a priority for India.