The 2026 BRICS Summit. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will participate in the BRICS summit in New Delhi, amid the wars in Iran and Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the 18th BRICS summit, organized in New Delhi from September 12 to 13, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi Jinping’s visit, announced Thursday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, will be the Chinese leader’s first visit to India in seven years and is considered an opportunity to relaunch relations between the two Asian powers.

Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Friday to attend the summit, landing at Palam Air Base in New Delhi, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Also on Friday, he and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, will hold talks with the Indian prime minister.

Xi Jinping’s presence has increased the importance of the meeting, as Beijing and New Delhi seek to stabilize relations following tensions over their shared border. A new round of talks on the border dispute, held in Beijing on August 25, concluded with an eight-point consensus, described by both sides as a positive sign.

Bilateral meetings between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi are expected on the sidelines of the summit. The discussions may cover political and strategic relations, economic cooperation, and exchanges between the two societies.

The summit will also address issues important to the Global South: payments in local currencies, green financing, the energy transition, food security, the expansion of the New Development Bank, and reform of international financial institutions. Following its expansion, the grouping must maintain unity and strengthen its role in promoting more inclusive global governance.