New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on October 22-23 to attend the 16th BRICS Summit and will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the group’s members and other invitees, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.
This marks PM Modi’s second visit to Russia this year. The summit is the first since the expansion of the group to nine members, with Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE joining this year after being offered membership in the 2023 summit in South Africa.
Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also invited but the former declined after a change of government, while the latter is yet to respond. PM Modi will visit Russia from October 22-23 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, being held in Kazan, under the chairmanship of Russia, the MEA said.
The summit, themed “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”, will provide an important platform for leaders to discuss key global issues, it said, adding that the Summit will offer a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of initiatives launched by BRICS and to identify potential areas for future collaboration.
During his visit, the Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited leaders in Kazan, the MEA said.