Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held under India’s chairship on September 12 and 13.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov also arrived in the national capital to attend the summit, joining a high-level Russian delegation.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi ahead of the summit and was received by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh at the airport.
According to the Kremlin, Putin will address the plenary session of the BRICS Business Forum on September 11. The forum traditionally precedes the leaders’ summit and provides a platform for dialogue among business representatives from BRICS countries.
Putin is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and visit the INNOPROM exhibition along with the Prime Minister. The exhibition has been organised by the industry and trade ministries of India and Russia.
The Kremlin has described Putin’s visit as a working visit to India, coming as BRICS marks 20 years since its establishment.
Meanwhile, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi also arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
Welcoming Zou Jiayi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said her visit would strengthen partnerships aimed at advancing sustainable development and expanding opportunities for emerging economies.
“Warmly welcome President of @AIIB_Official, Zou Jiayi to the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The visit will strengthen partnerships to advance sustainable development and expand opportunities for emerging economies,” Jaiswal said in a post on X.
The Beijing-based AIIB is a multilateral development bank focused on financing infrastructure and other development projects in Asia and beyond, with sustainability among its key areas of focus. The bank began operations in 2016 and has since expanded its membership to 111 approved members worldwide.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 as the grouping’s chair for 2026. India’s chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation among its key priorities.
(ANI
