Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin will start his visit to India on Thursday with an informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said in Moscow on Wednesday, calling the upcoming meeting during a private dinner between the two leaders as “one of the key points of the Russian leader’s visit.” According to Ushakov, Putin will discuss important issues of bilateral ties and international situation with PM Modi.
He stated that Putin will also hold talks with PM Modi in a narrow and expanded format. Key aspects of trade and economic cooperation will be discussed and several agreements will be signed during Putin’s visit to India, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported. According to Ushakov, India and Russia plan to sign a programme for the development of strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030.
Following the talks, PM Modi and President Putin will make a statement to the media. In India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, Putin will lay a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial on Friday. The long-anticipated visit comes amid deepening strategic ties between New Delhi and Moscow, especially after the United States imposed punitive tariffs on India over discounted Russian oil imports earlier this year.
After President Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India and Russia will release a joint statement outlining plans for cooperation in economics, finance, security, politics and several other sectors, Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass reported.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin’s upcoming visit to India will deliver “significant outcomes” across strategic, defence, energy and trade sectors.
During an online media briefing organised by Sputnik News at the India Habitat Centre on Tuesday, Peskov said that Putin’s visit is set to further consolidate a relationship rooted in “mutual understanding, partnership and a shared vision of global affairs based on the rule of law”.
Peskov underscored the historical depth of the partnership, noting that Moscow has stood “shoulder to shoulder” with India in crucial phases of its growth.
He emphasised that strategic and defence cooperation remain “sensitive areas,” but reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to share its expanded expertise in various domains, including emerging technologies.
Energy and nuclear cooperation are expected to feature prominently in the talks between President Putin and PM Modi.
Peskov said Russia continues to supply energy to India at competitive prices, calling it a “mutual benefit”.
On the nuclear front, he confirmed ongoing collaboration and future projects, stating that Russian assistance has helped create “a separate sectoral ecosystem” within India’s nuclear industry.
Trade is likely to be a key focus during the visit. Russia-India bilateral trade has touched USD 63 billion, with a target of crossing USD 100 billion before 2030.
However, Peskov acknowledged attempts by “some actors” to obstruct the trade relationship, in an indirect attack against the United States.
To address the current imbalance, he said Russia intends to increase imports from India.
In a statement on November 28, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, “The forthcoming State Visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.”
(IANS)
