Modi and Putin pledge deeper ties as BRICS seeks greater global role
India and Russia agreed to strengthen ties as Vladimir Putin called for BRICS to build a global growth platform free from Western rules.
New Delhi, India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Friday to deepen their longstanding bilateral ties ahead of a BRICS summit in the Indian capital. Putin said the bloc should create a new platform for global growth free from Western rules.
BRICS summit talks
Modi and Putin held talks on the eve of the summit, which is due to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders.
New Delhi is seeking to maintain strong relations with the United States, Gulf Arab states, Russia, Iran and Israel while facing shipping and trade disruptions linked to the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
The BRICS bloc is seeking to expand its influence over international rules and institutions, although its members are divided over the Gulf conflict, with Iran and the United Arab Emirates on opposing sides.
Economic cooperation
Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, told Reuters that BRICS was shifting from a geopolitical grouping into a more practical economic partnership.
He said the focus was on cooperation among businesses, technology companies and investors, as well as improving payment systems and developing joint infrastructure.
Putin’s comments on competition
Speaking at a BRICS business forum attended by Modi, Pezeshkian and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin criticised what he described as Western efforts to restore former leadership.
“We have always been told that competition is a sacred cow, something that must not be touched,” Putin said. “Yet, unfortunately, today your Western competitors are trying by any means necessary to regain their former leadership.”
He said competition was sometimes taking “unsightly forms”, including direct physical attacks and the destruction of industrial and logistical facilities and pipelines.
Putin also said attempts were being made to block international transport corridors and seize ships, without providing details.
He said illegal restrictions were being imposed alongside threats of secondary sanctions against countries that defended their national interests, adding that BRICS would build “a new, sustainable platform for global growth”.
Trade and finance concerns
Putin’s remarks echoed concerns expressed by BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors over what they described as unilateral trade and finance-related measures.
They cited higher tariffs and non-tariff measures, saying such actions distort trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules.
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