Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia to attend the 16th edition of the BRICS Summit in Kazan from October 22-23 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Summit, themed "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security," will provide an important platform for leaders to discuss key global issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official notice.

"The summit will offer a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of initiatives launched by BRICS and to identify potential areas for future collaboration," the MEA said.

During his visit, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited leaders in Kazan.

In September, Russian President Putin extended an invitation to PM Modi, proposing a bilateral meeting on October 22, on the sidleines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. President Putin had described PM Modi as a "good friend" while extending the invitation.

This will be PM Modi's second visit to Russia this year. He had travelled to Moscow for an informal meet with the Russian President. His trip to Moscow was also his first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In August, the Prime Minister dialled the Russian President and urged an early resolution of the Ukraine conflict. The conversation took place days after PM Modi visited Kyiv and met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He has visited Russia six times since taking over as the Prime Minister of the country. He visited Russia twice in 2015, with one of them being to participate in the 7th BRICS summit.

During his visit to Russia earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded Russia’s highest civilian honour, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle.

Source: India Today