PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit
Kazan, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his two-day official visit to Russia, his second in the last three months, where he will attend the BRICS Summit. The Prime Minister will attend the summit in Kazan, Russia along with Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China, Lula da Silva of Brazil and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
Apart from the premier international forum, the Prime Minister’s visit is significant for two reasons – India’s role in brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine and the breakthrough in talks with China over the situation on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
Ahead of the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the importance of close cooperation among member countries. “This is an important summit, and the discussions here will contribute to building a better planet,” the prime minister wrote in a post on X upon his arrival in Kazan.
Mediating peace between Russia and Ukraine
In his opening statement during his meeting with Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Modi said he wanted the Ukraine conflict to be resolved “peacefully and expeditiously”.
The two leaders, who met for talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, shook hands followed by a hug. “We have been in constant touch regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Prime Minister Modi said at the meeting.
“We believe that disputes should be resolved only through peaceful means. We fully support efforts to restore peace and stability as quickly as possible,” Prime Minister Modi said.
New Delhi has been diplomatically very cautious since the Ukraine conflict began, pledging humanitarian aid for Kyiv while avoiding explicit condemnation of Russia’s aggression.
In his opening speech, President Putin praised Russia and India’s “privileged strategic partnership” and vowed to further strengthen ties.
Prime Minister Modi visited Kyiv in August and Moscow in July in an effort to encourage dialogue, as India presented itself as a potential mediator. He was warmly welcomed in both countries. Both Putin and Zelensky have been in close contact with Prime Minister Modi throughout the duration of the Ukraine conflict – as India has a unique position in maintaining friendly relations with both countries.
After his Kyiv visit, Prime Minister Modi reportedly sent National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Moscow with a “peace plan”, which was reportedly handed over to President Putin after Mr Doval held a meeting with him.
During his meeting with President Zelensky, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his commitment to peace and sustainable development. He emphasised that without peace, long-term progress is impossible. The outcome of the war remains uncertain, but India will continue to advocate for a peaceful solution,” Mr Misri said.
India’s initiative to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine has also been praised by US President Joe Biden and several European leaders. President Biden also praised India’s prominent global role, including Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and the Global South, as well as his efforts to strengthen the Quad, ensuring a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Will PM Modi and Xi Jinping meet in Russia?
In a separate development, India and China have established a patrol mechanism along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a possible step towards easing tensions that escalated in May 2020,” India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced yesterday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently praised the LAC agreement, calling it a positive outcome of “patient and persistent diplomacy”.
“…there were times when people had almost given up. We have always said that on one hand we had to make counter deployments, and we have been talking since September 2020. It has been a very patient process, although it has been more complicated than it should have been,” Mr Jaishankar said at the NDTV World Summit.
“The important thing is that if we have reached an understanding, I think it creates a basis for peace and tranquility on the border, which was there before 2020. That was a big concern. If there is no peace and tranquility, how can other areas of bilateral relations improve?” Mr Jaishankar said.
With both Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attending the BRICS summit in Russia a day after India and China reached a breakthrough in talks over the standoff at the Line of Actual Control, it remains to be seen if the two leaders will meet or hold talks during the summit. The two sides are yet to confirm the meeting.
Agenda of the 16th BRICS Summit
Apart from the leaders of the 5 founding member nations, nearly two dozen other leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, are also attending the summit.
Key issues on the agenda include Vladimir Putin’s idea of ​​a BRICS-led payment system that would rival SWIFT, an international financial network from which Russian banks were cut off in 2022, and the growing conflict in the Middle East.
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