New Delhi: In a crucial geopolitical development, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to attend the BRICS summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, according to reports.
Both Moscow and Beijing have informed New Delhi that their leaders are expected to participate in the summit of BRICS leaders. Russian officials have already confirmed Putin’s participation, according to Russian news agency TASS.
Unless there are unforeseen developments, both Russia and China are expected to participate in the summit at the highest level.
Before the BRICS summit, Putin is also expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 and September 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to attend the SCO summit.
Xi Jinping’s expected visit to India is being seen as particularly significant because it would mark his first trip to the country since October 2019. The process of improving ties began after Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.
During that meeting, both sides agreed to complete disengagement of troops at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Over the past one-and-a-half years, India and China have taken several steps towards stabilising relations.
These measures included the resumption of visas, direct flights, easing restrictions on Chinese companies and restarting the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.
The Indian government hopes BRICS countries, which remain divided over the conflict in West Asia, will be able to find common ground before the summit takes place.
