China’s Xi, India’s Modi to meet at BRICS summit in Kazan

ISTANBUL

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to meet on Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan city of Russia.

The meeting will be held two days after Beijing and New Delhi reached an agreement to end the standoff between the two armies in the eastern Ladakh region of disputed Jammu and Kashmir.

"I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in Kazan.

It is the first time in five years that the two leaders are holding a formal meeting.

Xi who flew to Russia to attend the summit early on Tuesday, met Russian President Vladimir Putin for bilateral talks.

Modi also held bilateral talks with Putin and offered to provide all possible cooperation from New Delhi to find peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Being held in the semi-autonomous Russian Republic of Tatarstan, the summit is expected to draw representatives from 32 countries, including 24 state leaders, according to the Kremlin.

BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, recently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Putin said 34 countries, including Türkiye, have expressed interest in joining the bloc.

Experts anticipate the summit will place significant focus on BRICS expansion, with Russian officials noting its adaptability and long-standing agenda of growth.