Kazan, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kazan, Russia on Tuesday to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit, where he will join other leaders in discussing global challenges and strengthening multilateralism.

The summit, themed "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security," is being chaired by Russia from October 22-24. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the summit provides a platform for leaders to assess the progress of BRICS initiatives and identify future collaboration areas.

During his visit, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"Today, Russian President will talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The leaders are expected to discuss a wide array of topics," reported TASS.

PM Modi emphasized the importance of BRICS as a platform for dialogue on global issues, stating in a departure statement, "India values the close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on issues concerning the global developmental agenda, reformed multilateralism, climate change, economic cooperation, building resilient supply chains, promoting cultural and people to people connect, among others."

This marks PM Modi's second visit to Russia this year, having attended the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in Moscow in July. The 16th BRICS Summit holds significance as it follows the expansion of the grouping to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in 2024.