NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to reinforce New Delhi’s special partnership with Moscow, his office said on Tuesday, as he is in Russia to participate in the 2024 BRICS summit.

Initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the group expanded in January this year, with the accession of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and the UAE.

Morphing into the most powerful geopolitical forum outside of the Western world, it accounts for 45 percent of the world’s population and 35 percent of its economy.

The bloc’s annual meeting is taking place in Kazan on Oct. 22-24.

Ahead of his departure to Russia, Modi’s office quoted him as saying that his participation would “further reinforce the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.”

He held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately after his arrival.

“The fact that I have come to Russia twice in the last two months demonstrates our deep connection and friendship,” he said, referring to the India-Russia Annual Summit, which he attended in Moscow in July.

The meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit was livestreamed on Modi’s X account.

He offered India’s support to reach peace amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

“We fully support the early restoration of peace and stability. All our efforts give priority to humanity,” Modi said. “India is ready to provide all possible cooperation.”

Modi is attending the BRICS summit accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

“India is a voice of the Global South and Prime Minister Modi will refer to that, and once again bilaterally assess the possibility of further contribution to the efforts for ceasefire and peace in the Eurasian war,” said Anil Trigunayat, a former ambassador who has served in the Indian missions in the Middle East and Europe, including Russia.

“Regional and global challenges will be discussed as well. Prime Minister Modi in his departure statement clearly underscored the importance of BRICS. He will also be meeting several leaders including Iran and China, apart from the host Russia.”

Modi’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping would be the “biggest point” of the summit, according to Prof. Amitabh Singh from the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

Indian-Chinese ties have been strained since 2020, following deadly clashes on their de facto Himalayan border and military buildup from both sides. Rounds of meetings taking place over the past four years had not yielded any resolution until Monday, when the countries reached a patrolling agreement widely seen as possibly leading to disengagement.

“Modi is going to meet Xi Jinping in all likelihood ... it is also important that India would be starting a new phase of relationship with China after things get worse in 2020,” Singh told Arab News.

“More than economic organization or platform, the BRICS is also becoming a political platform where non-Western countries are coming together.”