President Vladimir Putin arrived in India early Friday for a three-day visit to attend the BRICS leaders’ summit and deepen strategic ties with New Delhi.
On Friday afternoon, Putin met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks focused on trade and energy.
Sources cited by Indian media said the two leaders would discuss expanding Russian-Indian trade to $100 billion by 2030, supported by increasing cooperation in rail transit, steel production, critical minerals, fertilizers and nuclear energy.
The Kremlin said earlier this week that the possible sale of Russian Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jets to India is also on the agenda.
A delegation of more than 300 Russian executives is accompanying Putin to New Delhi to negotiate supply chains and food security contracts.
Putin is scheduled to give a speech at the BRICS business forum later on Friday. The main plenary session of the bloc’s leaders will take place on Saturday, followed by an expanded session the following day with partner states and international organizations.
BRICS was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in global affairs. BRICS has since expanded beyond its original group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include Ethiopia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE.
This year’s BRICS summit seeks to lift the bloc’s global profile even as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran splits its nembers, with Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposing sides of the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the differences between the UAE and Iran had a “negative impact” on the organization, hindering the drafting of a joint declaration. However, he expressed hope that leaders would be able to find a phrasing in the declaration that would be acceptable to all member countries.
Russia remains one of India’s largest energy suppliers. However, New Delhi has tried to balance its longstanding strategic partnership with Moscow against pressure from Washington over its purchases of Russian crude.
Putin and Modi last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month, when Modi told Putin that the Ukraine war needs to end for humanity’s sake. The Indian leader said he would support any effort to stop the war.
Reuters and AFP contributed reporting.
