Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Friday, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by India.
The meeting comes against the backdrop
of longstanding India-Russia ties, with the two countries maintaining close cooperation across areas including defence, energy, trade, space and technology. The talks also provide an opportunity for the two leaders to exchange views on key regional and global developments.
Putin Arrives In Delhi For BRICS Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the BRICS Summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam. His visit includes bilateral engagements with Prime Minister Modi as well as his participation in the BRICS leaders’ summit. The 18th BRICS Summit will bring together leaders of the grouping’s member countries, along with partner countries and outreach invitees.
Modi Presents Russian Translation Of Thirukkural To Putin
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the celebrated classical Tamil work attributed to poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar.
#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of BRICS Summit 2026.
(Video Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/KhlCIatMI2
— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2026
The Thirukkural is regarded as one of the major works of Tamil literature and contains 1,330 couplets covering themes including virtue, morality, social conduct, governance and love. Its teachings have been translated into several languages and are widely regarded for their universal ethical themes.
The presentation of the Russian translation added a cultural and literary dimension to the bilateral engagement between the two leaders.
BRICS Summit To Focus On Global Cooperation
The bilateral meeting takes place ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, which will bring leaders of the expanded grouping together in New Delhi.
India’s BRICS presidency has focused on strengthening cooperation among member countries and advancing discussions on issues related to global governance, economic cooperation, development and people-to-people ties.
The Modi-Putin talks are expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to further discuss bilateral cooperation as well as key regional and international developments.
