NEW DELHI: With world leaders beginning to arrive in India for the 18th BRICS Summit, three Russian transport aircraft were spotted landing at Noida International Airport on Thursday, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to the national capital.
Putin is set to arrive in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held on September 12 and 13. His visit is also expected to feature a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely on Friday, September 11, ahead of the multilateral engagement.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters during a virtual briefing from Moscow, confirmed that the two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions. He said the meeting would initially focus on the bilateral agenda, including trade and economic cooperation, which he described as a broad area of engagement between the two countries.
Peskov said Putin’s India visit would provide an opportunity to discuss key issues concerning bilateral relations, underlining the close personal rapport between the Russian President and Prime Minister Modi. He described the relationship between the two leaders as pragmatic and candid, saying their open engagement allows them to discuss sensitive issues constructively and explore new avenues of cooperation.
Ahead of the summit, Peskov also expressed confidence that the BRICS gathering would be successful and said Russia was committed to strengthening cooperation within the grouping across its three principal pillars—political and security affairs, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
He further said Moscow supports the idea of inviting additional countries to participate in different formats within BRICS, signalling Russia’s continued backing for the expansion and wider engagement of the grouping.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
