This will be Modi’s first visit to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. His last visit to Russia was in 2019, when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.
Russia is expecting a “very important and full-fledged visit” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow, which is crucial for Russian-Indian relations, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday. PM Modi will be on a two-day visit to Moscow from Monday, July 8 to July 9, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. This will be Modi’s first visit to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. His last visit to Russia was in 2019, when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.
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The two leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi on Thursday while announcing the high-level visit.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview said that the western countries are jealous of the visit. This is PM Modi’s first visit to Russia since the beginning of Ukraine conflict. “They are jealous — that means they are closely monitoring it. Their close monitoring means they attach great importance to it. And they are not mistaken, there is something to attach great importance to,” Peskov said as per Tass. He said this while responding to a question about the attitude of western politicians towards the visit.
The programme of Prime Minister Modi in Moscow will be extensive and the two leaders will be able to have informal talks, Peskov said in an interview with Russia’s state-run VGTRK television channel. “Obviously, the agenda will be extensive, if not to say overbusy. It will be an official visit, and we hope that the heads will be able to talk in an informal way as well,” he said.
Peskov said that Russian-Indian relations are at the level of strategic partnership. He said that there would be both one-on-one talks in the Kremlin and those involving delegations. “We are expecting a very important and full-fledged visit, which is so crucial for Russian-Indian relations,” he was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.
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The annual summit between the prime minister of India and the president of Russia is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries.So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternately in India and Russia.
The last annual summit was held on December 6, 2021 in New Delhi. President Putin had visited India to attend the summit.
Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Keeping its national interest in mind, India has become one of the key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the US and its allies that shut most Western markets for Russian exports.
