Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a busy schedule on Friday as the BRICS Summit kicks off in New Delhi. Many foreign dignitaries have already arrived in the national capital, with meetings with PM Modi scheduled throughout the day.
So far, the biggest name to arrive in Delhi on Friday has been Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin will also meet PM Modi for a bilateral meeting on Friday. He landed at the Palam Air Force base after midnight to take part in the summit. Follow LIVE updates here. Apart from Putin, Modi will also meet United Nations (UN) secretary general António Guterres, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Though the summit begins on Saturday, foreign dignitaries have been arriving since Thursday and will continue to arrive through Friday and Saturday as well. Each is headed by a special commissioner of police, assisted by senior officers. Anti-drone systems have been installed at around 14 strategic locations across central, south and southwest Delhi, including Bharat Mandapam, the summit venue, and nine hotels where foreign dignitaries are staying, senior police officers said. These regions have been further divided into nine zones led by deputy commissioners of police and 27 sectors headed by ACPs and inspectors. Earlier reporting noted: Brazil: The South American country is being represented by its minister of foreign affairs, Mauro Vieira, who arrived at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport at around 10 pm on Thursday. Earlier reporting noted: Russia: The Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the Palam Air Force Station at around 1:15am on Friday for the BRICS Summit and bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The systems will monitor the skies along routes connecting the Indira Gandhi International and Palam airports with hotels, Bharat Mandapam and other sensitive locations, they said. “The anti-drone systems have been installed at strategic locations for keeping a close vigil on the skies over the routes around IGI and Palam airports and the hotels, as well as the event venue and other sensitive locations,” an officer said. Officials said that the entire summit security operation has been divided into four regions — airports, hotels, designated VVIP routes and Bharat Mandapam.
Earlier reporting noted: While Russian President Vladimir Putin is among the leaders who are already in Delhi for the summit, there are many more yet to arrive.
the meeting with Guterres will follow that While the Modi-Putin meeting is expected around 3:30pm on Friday. Pezeshkian is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister at around 6:15pm, and Subianto is expected to meet Modi an hour later.
