BRICS Summit begins tomorrow; world’s attention turns to India

NEW DELHI: New Delhi is ready for the 18th BRICS Summit, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam tomorrow and the day after. With world leaders attending the summit, the national capital has been placed under tight security. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive tomorrow.

Xi is visiting India after a gap of seven years. His visit comes as the two countries have begun efforts to improve diplomatic relations and bilateral ties. He is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit.

Ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral meeting today. Defence, trade and economic cooperation are expected to be among the key issues discussed.

With calls growing for India to mediate in resolving the West Asia crisis, the summit bringing Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran together on a single platform is being closely watched globally. The presence of the Russian and Chinese leaders, whose countries support Iran, is also significant.

The summit, being held under India’s presidency for the fourth time, will focus on building resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Discussions will also cover strengthening economic growth and international representation of developing countries, promoting trade in local currencies to reduce trade barriers, sustainable development and climate change.

Other prominent leaders attending the summit include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.