India, Russia to commemorate 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations with series of events across both countries: Ambassador Vinay Kumar

Moscow [Russia], August 6 (ANI): India's Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, on Wednesday (local time) said India and Russia are set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with a series of events across both countries, describing the milestone year as particularly significant for the strategic partnership.
Speaking to ANI, Kumar said both sides were working on a comprehensive programme of activities spanning multiple sectors.
"2027 will be the 80th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Russia and both sides are discussing the proper celebration of this event. We look forward to having a series of events in the two countries, in different cities, in economic, commerce, science and technology, cultural and people-to-people ties related events to commemorate this milestone of 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations," he said.
Calling the year important for bilateral ties, the Ambassador said India is also expecting Russian participation in the BRICS Summit, which will be hosted in New Delhi next month.
"So, first of all, I would like to tell you that this year is particularly important for our relationship. We are expecting Russian participation in the BRICS summit, which will be held next month in New Delhi. So far, in various BRICS meetings, Russian participation has been at high levels. Together with this multilateral cooperation within the framework of BRICS, we are also very actively continuing our bilateral cooperation," Kumar said.
His remarks come as India, which holds the BRICS Chairmanship for 2026, intensifies preparations for the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13.
Earlier, Russian news agency TASS, citing a government source, reported that India had formally invited Russia to participate in the summit. Separately, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said preparations for the summit were underway in full swing.
India has also invited several countries to participate in the outreach segment of the summit. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has received an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the outreach session.
India's BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 is guided by the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." The grouping, comprising 11 member nations, serves as a key platform for cooperation on global political, economic and developmental issues. (ANI)