Russia, India Looking at PM Modi’s Brief Visit to Moscow Next Month

New Delhi: In a major development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia soon, probably in the second week of July, to co-chair the annual summit between both nations along with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The last annual summit between both nations had taken place two and a half years ago in December 2021, just about two months before Russia launched its military offensive against neighbouring Ukraine. There were no summits between the two nations in 2022 and 2023, although the summits were originally meant to take place annually.

The visit is also being seen as a clear message to the West that India will continue to maintain its close time-tested friendship with Russia. New Delhi has a “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Moscow, especially in defence and civil nuclear spheres, among other areas, and the past two years had seen a burgeoning bilateral trade relationship due to the import of large quantities of Russian oil by India, which is also focusing heavily on investments in the Russian far eastern region. A proposed key defence mutual logistics pact — the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) — could be signed between both nations soon, probably during the coming visit.

Although India has not yet announced the visit, Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media reports in Moscow as saying: “I can confirm we are preparing for a visit by the Prime Minister of India. I can’t say about the dates yet, because the dates are announced by the parties in agreement.

But we are actively preparing. And this visit will happen.”

Diplomatic sources said Mr Modi’s day-long visit is being planned around July 8, reported PTI.

According to recent reports, Mr Modi is likely to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan’s Astana on July 3 and 4 as Parliament is now in session. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar may instead represent India at the SCO Summit, reports suggested. China and Pakistan are also members of the SCO and New Delhi’s ties with both Islamabad and Beijing remain strained.

Russia-China ties have grown stronger by the day, with President Putin undertaking a visit recently to Beijing to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It may be noted that President Putin had spoken earlier this month to Mr Modi on the phone and had congratulated him on the electoral success of the NDA following its victory on June 4. The Russian President also said this “reflects the support of the political course pursued by the Indian leadership, recognition of the results achieved in the socio-economic development of the country and strengthening of its international authority”. Both leaders had also “expressed satisfaction with the current level of the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership which will continue expanding in all areas”.