PM Modi leaves for India after attending 16th Brics summit in Russia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for home after wrapping up his two-day "impactful" visit to Russia where he attended the 16th BRICS Summit and held bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"PM @narendramodi wraps up an impactful visit to Kazan and emplanes for New Delhi," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

Modi arrived in the heritage city of Kazan on Tuesday for the BRICS Summit. He was warmly received by the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.

In his address at the BRICS Summit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said India supported dialogue and diplomacy and not war and called for resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through peaceful negotiations.

Modi also flagged concerns over pressing challenges such as wars, economic uncertainty, climate change and terrorism and said the BRICS can play a positive role in taking the world on the right path.

The prime minister strongly pitched for "single-minded" focus and "firm support" of all in combating terrorism, asserting that there is no place for "double standards" to deal with the challenge.

He underlined the need to take "active steps" to stop the radicalisation of youths. The summit was attended by top leaders of BRICS nations, including Russian President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held bilateral talks with President Xi -- their first structured meeting in the last five years.

In the meeting, Modi underscored the need to not allow differences on boundary-related matters to disturb peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The two leaders noted that the special representatives on the India-China boundary question have a critical role to play in the resolution of the issue and in the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas.

He also held separate bilateral meetings with Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Besides India, Russia and China, the BRICS also has South Africa and Brazil. The grouping represents 24 per cent of the global GDP and 41 per cent of the world's population and positions itself as an economic counterweight to the West. The latest five entrants to the grouping are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).