BRICS Summit Highlights Russia-India Strategic Partnership

The ongoing BRICS summit highlights the close nature of the Russian-Indian cooperation.

GOA (Sputnik) — The ongoing summit of BRICS nations in India’s Goa highlights the close nature of the Russian-Indian cooperation on a broad range of issues, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday after a bilateral meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

"The success of this summit sends a spotlight to the India-Russia strategic partnership… We agreed to work closely and support [each other] in a challenging and uncertain nature of the global economy," Modi said.

After the bilateral meeting, the two leaders emphasized the need to further facilitate trade and travel regulations between the two countries. They noted the progress in the work of the Joint Study Group, which analyzed the possibility of a free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union.

On the sidelines of the summit, Russian and Indian companies have signed 18 agreements on cooperation in nuclear, construction, education, trade, investment and other spheres.

BRICS is an association of five developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which is aimed at enhancing cooperation in multiple spheres between the member states.

The eighth annual BRICS event is taking place on October 15-16 and is attended by all five leaders, who are set to discuss a plan for cooperation in the near future as well as a wide range of political, economic and security issues.