PM Modi Shares Photo With Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin At BRICS Summit In Delhi - NDTV

**New Delhi, September 12 2024 –** At the opening session of the 2024 BRICS summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posed for a widely circulated photograph alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The image, released on the Prime Minister’s official Twitter handle and echoed by major Indian news outlets, marked the leaders’ third face‑to‑face encounter within as many years—a meeting first held at the 2022 BRICS gathering in Beijing, followed by a second in Johannesburg last year. Hosting the summit for the first time since 2012, India sought to showcase its role as a diplomatic bridge, and the trio’s joint appearance underscored a palpable desire among the bloc’s biggest economies to project unity amid a fracturing global order.

During the bilateral talks that accompanied the photo‑op, Modi urged Putin to “continue constructive engagement on peace initiatives,” echoing India’s long‑standing call for dialogue over confrontation. The leaders also examined practical cooperation, with particular focus on ensuring smooth global maritime trade and enhancing the safety of seafarers—a sector hit hard by recent geopolitical flashpoints and piracy concerns. While China’s Xi highlighted the importance of “multilateralism without hegemonic dominance,” Russia’s Putin used the platform to argue for the lifting of sanctions that, in his view, impede the free flow of goods and energy. Observers noted that the three-way discussion, though informal, reflected a coordinated push to shape a rules‑based framework that balances national interests with collective stability.

Analysts see the photograph as a symbolic counterweight to Western‑led narratives that portray BRICS as merely an anti‑U.S. coalition. Instead, the gathering in Delhi appears to prioritize pragmatic issues—trade corridors, shipping safety, and conflict de‑escalation—while allowing each member to reaffirm sovereign policy choices. The summit’s agenda, which also includes sessions on digital cooperation, climate finance, and food security, suggests that the bloc is seeking to broaden its appeal beyond geopolitics and cement its relevance in shaping global governance. As the summit progresses, the extent to which these high‑profile meetings translate into concrete policy actions will be closely watched by both allies and rivals alike.