Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India for the BRICS Summit later this week will provide an opportunity for the two countries to discuss bilateral relations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Delhi will host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12-13, as India concludes its 2026 chairship of the expanded grouping of major emerging economies and developing nations.
Speaking to reporters at a virtual briefing from Moscow, Peskov said Putin would begin his India visit in the next few days and highlighted the “very close personal contact” between the Russian and Indian leaders.
“You know that our two leaders, Indian and Russian leaders, are in very close personal contact. They are very pragmatic in their relationship, and they are sincere enough to be able to discuss in a very open and constructive way the most sensitive issues of our agenda and our bilateral relations,” Peskov said.
“Of course, it opens additional horizons for our cooperation,” he added.
Peskov expressed confidence that the summit would be successful and said Russia was doing its best to contribute to the further development of BRICS cooperation in its three main areas namely politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
“We are supporting the idea of inviting new countries to join different formats within BRICS,” he said.
Peskov also underlined the importance of financial cooperation within the grouping, saying about 90 per cent of Russia’s payments and transactions with BRICS countries were now conducted in national currencies.
“The cooperation space within the BRICS financial sphere is of great importance,” he said.
Peskov said the shift towards national currencies was not aimed at “getting rid of U.S. dollars”, adding that Russia remained open to all acceptable methods of payment.
“But you know that certain countries are using some national currencies as a tool for political oppression. They are introducing sanctions based on their national currencies. So, if they don’t let us use their money, we use our own money,” he said.
India’s BRICS chairship, which began on January 1, 2026, is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The four pillars focus on strengthening resilience, harnessing innovation, deepening cooperation and advancing sustainable development through a people-centric approach.
The 2026 chairship marks India’s fourth time at the helm of BRICS, following its earlier chairships in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
BRICS has evolved into an important platform for political and diplomatic coordination among major emerging economies and developing nations.
It currently comprises 11 full members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The grouping has also introduced a partner-country category, with Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam among its partners.
The expanded BRICS grouping accounts for a significant share of the global population and economy, representing around 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.
(With inputs from ANI)
