BRICS Summit 2024 DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Putin welcomes PM Modi at special dinner hosted for world leaders | WATCH

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the dinner hosted for BRICS leaders in Kazan, Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets and holds a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Kazan on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit. 

Had an excellent meeting with President Putin. The bond between India and Russia is deep-rooted. Our talks focussed on how to add even more vigour to our bilateral partnership across diverse sectors- PM Modi wrote after a bilateral meeting with the Russian leader.

BRICS Summit: Iran's Pezeshkian arrives in Russia's Kazan | WATCH

Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday at the opening of the BRICS summit, saying that growing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was a stabilising factor for the world.

"I am glad to be in Kazan," Xi said as he shook hands with Putin ahead of a bilateral meeting.

Putin called Xi his "dear friend" and said that Moscow and Beijing would work towards creating a just world order.

BRCIS Summit: Vladimir Putin holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping

South Africa sees Russia as a valued ally, President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a bilateral meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, on the eve of the BRICS summit of emerging economies that will take place in the Russian city of Kazan.

"We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid," Ramaphosa said, according to a clip of the two leaders' meeting shared on social media by South Africa's government news agency.

"We are going to have important discussions here in Kazan within the BRICS family," the South African president added.

1. The acronym BRIC was coined in 2001 by then-Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper that underlined the massive growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China this century.
2. Russia, India and China began to meet more formally, eventually adding Brazil, then South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join.
3. BRICS' share of global GDP is forecast to rise to 37% by the end of this decade while the share accounted for by the Group of Seven major Western economies will decline to about 28% from 30% this year, according to International Monetary Fund data.
4. Russia is seeking to convince BRICS countries to build an alternative platform for international payments that would be immune to Western sanctions.

BRICS Summit IN PICS: PM Modi holds significant bilateral meeting with Putin in Kazan

President Vladimir Putin met South Africa's Ramaphosa on day one of a BRICS summit in Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in Kazan on Tuesday (October 22) within the framework of the BRICS summit. During the meeting, Putin forgot about interpreters and kept speaking in Russian. Soon he made a pause and joked: 'Our relations are so good, I thought you understand everything (without translation).'

BRICS Summit: What Putin says during bilateral meeting with PM Modi | WATCH

BRICS Summit: PM Modi-Putin bilateral meeting in Kazan | WATCH

During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, PM Narendra Modi says, "I express my heartfelt gratitude for your friendship, warm welcome and hospitality. It is a matter of great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to visit a beautiful city like Kazan for the BRICS Summit. India has deep and historical ties with this city. The opening of India's new embassy in Kazan will further strengthen these ties."

China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi and other global leaders arrived Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan for a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies that the Kremlin hopes to turn into a rallying point for defying the Western liberal order. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the three-day meeting also offers a powerful way to demonstrate the failure of US-led efforts to isolate Russia over its action in Ukraine. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov touted the summit as “the largest foreign policy event ever held” by Russia, with 36 countries attending and more than 20 of them represented by heads of state.

The alliance that initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has expanded rapidly to embrace Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, and a few others have expressed an interest in joining.
Observers see the BRICS summit as part of the Kremlin's efforts to showcase support from the Global South amid spiralling tensions with the West and help expand economic and financial ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony at Kazan Airport upon his arrival to participate in the BRICS summit.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry blasted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday for what it said was his acceptance of an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to a BRICS summit, while staying away from a "peace summit" on the war in Ukraine. "The UN Secretary General declined Ukraine's invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland," the ministry said in a post on the X social media platform.

"He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the U.N.'s reputation."

Putin hosts a summit of BRICS nations in the central Russian city of Kazan from Tuesday, aimed at showcasing the clout of non-Western countries. Leaders attending include Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BRICS Summit: More photos from PM Modi's landing at Kazan Airport

BRICS Summit: PM Modi gets grand welcome at Kazan Airport

In a heartwarming display of cultural exchange, Russian nationals welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a soulful rendition of a Krishna bhajan during his visit to Kazan on Saturday.  The bhajan, a devotional song dedicated to Lord Krishna, captivated attendees, highlighting the shared appreciation for spirituality and cultural heritage between the two nations. Modi expressed his gratitude, acknowledging the significance of such gestures in fostering international relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnesses a dance performance by the artists of the Russian community at Hotel Korston in Kazan. He is here to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, being held under the Chairmanship of Russia. The Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets and interacts with members of the Indian diaspora as he arrives at Hotel Korston in Kazan, Russia. He is here to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, being held under the Chairmanship of Russia.

BRICS Summit: Stage set for mega event in Kazan | WATCH 

Students from India studying in Russia sing a welcome song as they await PM Modi's arrival at Hotel Korston, in Kazan. PM Narendra Modi is in Russia to attend the 16th BRICS summit (overall) and the first summit after the group expanded last year. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries.

China on Tuesday confirmed that it has reached an agreement with India to end the standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh. “Over a recent period, China and India have been in close communication through diplomatic and military channels on issues related to the China-India border,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing. “Now the two sides have reached a resolution on the relevant matters which China speaks highly of,” he said. Going forward China will work with India to implement these resolutions, he said. He, however, declined to provide details.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India plays a vital role in BRICS, bringing significant value, particularly in sectors such as economic growth, sustainable development, and global governance reforms. The remarks by Misri came while addressing a media briefing on PM Modi's upcoming Russia visit for the 16th BRICS summit. Addressing the briefing, Misri said, "The PM will be departing for Kazan tomorrow to attend the 16th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The theme of this edition of BRICS is Strengthening multilateralism for just global development and security." He added, "As you know, India is a founding member of BRICS and has participated in all of its activities, initiatives and engagements since its inception. India brings great value to BRICS and its contributions have played a vital role in shaping BRICS efforts in areas such as economic growth, sustainable development and global governance reforms."

PM Modi lands at Kazan airport, bilateral with Putin next

PM Modi is set to hold a series of bilateral meetings including with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). It will be the first summit of the grouping after it was expanded at its summit in Johannesburg last year. "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," Modi said in his departure statement.

India values close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on a range of key issues concerning global developmental agenda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. Modi made comments in a statement before embarking on a two-day visit to the Russian city of Kazan to attend the 16th summit of the BRICS grouping.