During the course of the informal dinner at the 16th BRICS Summit which took place in Kazan, Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India was spotted giving a thumbs-up sign when Vladimir Putin was engaged in a conversation with Xi Jinping. Above all, this particular moment was remarkable in terms of how the leaders of BRICS displayed solidarity and unity, and it came barely a few moments after India and China announced that they had agreed on some ‘patrolling arrangements’ along the LAC.
The moment Modi and Xi connected was after some meaningful engagement to resolve the military stalemate that existed before. Other than this new statement of agreement to resolve certain issues, exacerbated when the clash in Galwan Valley occurred in June 2020, has rekindled efforts by both nations toward resolution of enduring hostilities, through active military measures and diplomacy.
Interestingly enough, the images of the summit included Modi Putin’s rather affectionate display, which consisted of a hug and a handshake thus showcasing the two leaders’ great respect for each other. Even the dynamics of the dinner suggest that both Modi and Xi were flanking Putin – a configuration which suggests these three countries are likely to draw closer over time.
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And while Modi and Xi are to meet for a bilateral meeting on the occasion of the summit, the meeting held today is the first major interface between the two since their informal summit in Mamallapuram back in October 2019 when the border situation had not yet escalated into a full blown crisis.
The recent agreement on the LAC is arrived at after a couple of high-level meetings. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in July, while National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had a meeting with Wang in September at a BRICS summit in St. Petersburg. This series of meetings served to effectively address the military impasse and encourage the advancement of the two countries’ relations.
While the 16th BRICS Summit focused on various aspects of economic and political engagement, it also brought to the forefront the changing geopolitics with Russia, China, and India all inclined toward closer relations within a multipolar world.
Minutes by M31GlobalNews
