Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on Friday, September 11.
Confirming the meeting, Kremlin
spokesperson Dmitry Peskov underlined the importance Moscow attaches to its ties with India.
“President Putin will hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi,” Peskov said.
“India is our strategic partner. We consider it extremely important. The majority of our payment exchange is being done in national currencies,” he added, highlighting the growing use of national currencies in trade between the two countries.
Peskov also stated that the Indian and Russian leaders remain in close contact, while pointing to expanding cooperation between the two countries across several sectors, including security, space, energy, transportation, science and technology.
War, Gulf Crisis, Trade: Issues To Dominate PM Modi-Putin Bilateral Meet
PM Modi and Putin’s bilateral meeting is expected to cover a wide range of issues. Trade and economic cooperation will be a key area of discussion, with both sides looking to further expand bilateral economic ties, according to sources.
Indian companies are showing interest in the Russian market, while Russia is keen to expand the presence of its businesses and products in India.
Transportation cooperation is expected to feature in the talks, including discussions on international projects in the sector.
Also Read: Global South, Cross-Border Payments & AI: 7 Things India Hopes To Push At BRICS Summit
The ongoing war and the current situation on the front are also expected to be discussed during the bilateral meeting.
The situation in the Persian Gulf and its impact on the global economy is likely to figure in the discussions, with Russia noting that the ongoing developments are negatively affecting the global economy, as per sources.
Russia Open To India’s Mediation
On India’s potential role in mediating or helping defuse the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Peskov said Moscow was aware of New Delhi’s position and that it broadly aligned with Russia’s own stance.
He said Russia would have preferred to resolve the issue peacefully and welcomed international efforts to contribute to a resolution, including India’s willingness to help and efforts by the US President. Peskov said “very serious work” was underway and expressed hope for progress, including the possible resumption of negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the US.
‘BRICS Huge Bloc Now’: Russia
On BRICS, Peskov described the grouping as a major global bloc rather than simply an organisation, amid its expansion over the past two years.
“BRICS is a huge bloc now, not just an organisation,” he said.
Also Read: Beyond The Dollar: Why BRICS Is Rewriting The Rules Of Cross-Border Payments, And What India Gains
Peskov said Russia supports further expansion of the grouping and wants more countries to participate in its discussions.
“We are supporting the idea of inviting more and more countries to join different discussions at BRICS,” he said.
Russia Flags Nuclear Cooperation With India
Peskov also pointed to nuclear energy as a key area of Russia-India cooperation, saying Moscow expects further developments in the sector.
“Russia is a global leader in nuclear space. We are constructing more nuclear units than any other country in the world. We are going on well with kundakulam. We are expecting developments in this space. Negotiations on a new plant which will be built in India,” he said.
Russia has been pushing for greater cooperation in this area for the past two years.
BRICS Summit
The comments come ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which India will host at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The summit marks two decades since the bloc’s foundation and comes after its expansion into an 11-member grouping.
India’s BRICS chairship for 2026 is centred on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with “Humanity First” as its broader vision.
The expanded BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Ten partner countries — Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam — also participate in the broader BRICS framework.
Putin is among the leaders confirmed to attend the New Delhi summit, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to participate. The summit is set to bring together leaders of the expanded grouping as India seeks to shape discussions on trade, finance, energy, technology and reform of global governance.
