NEW DELHI: On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down in Russia for his first trip there in almost five years. He will speak with President Vladimir Putin in depth to assess bilateral relations and create a plan for future collaboration.
Meeting with President Vladimir Putin
The last time the two presidents met was during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan in September 2022. This was months after Russia invaded Ukraine, which led to Western sanctions and worsened relations between New Delhi and Moscow. Declaring that “today’s era is not of war,” Modi prodded Putin to end the conflict during that meeting.
First deputy prime minister Denis Manturov greeted Modi at Moscow’s Vnukovo-II VIP airport and presented him with a tri-service guard of honor. According to those familiar with the situation, Manturov is senior to the deputy prime minister who escorted PM Modi from the airport to his hotel during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow.
Putin will welcome Modi for a private meeting and supper at his dacha, or country residence, in the Novo-Ogaryovo area on Monday night before the 22nd India-Russia Summit takes place on Tuesday. This is a unique honor that the Russian president saves for just a select few visiting leaders.
Agenda and Discussions
According to the sources, this would provide the two leaders with a chance to concentrate on more delicate matters, such as the situation in Ukraine and its consequences and the return of Indian citizens who were enlisted in the Russian Army, out of the public eye.
Modi expressed his excitement for “reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues” in a statement released upon his departure from New Delhi. “We aim to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region,” he continued.
Modi will address the Indian community on Tuesday to kick off his activities. After placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Kremlin, he will go to the Rosatom pavilion, a Moscow exhibition space showcasing the most recent developments in nuclear energy. Modi and Putin will have closed-door talks during the yearly summit, which will be followed by discussions between delegations.
Address to the Indian community
PM Modi picked Russia as the venue for his first bilateral trip of his third term, weeks after flying to Italy for the G7 Summit outreach session, marking a significant break from the custom of Indian prime leaders starting a new term with a visit within the neighborhood. In the diplomatic community, the action is interpreted as an affirmation of New Delhi’s emphasis on its ties with Moscow and of India’s foreign policy of “strategic autonomy.”
Diplomatic Considerations
According to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the yearly summit—which was last conducted in 2021—will provide Modi and Putin with a chance to speak directly about important topics, including the imbalance in two-way trade. The aim for bilateral commerce between India and Russia was $30 billion by 2025, but that amount skyrocketed to $65.7 billion in 2023–2024, mostly as a result of India’s purchases of cheap Russian oil following the introduction of Western sanctions and a price ceiling. Russia benefits greatly from the imbalance in trade, as India’s exports are valued at less than $5 billion.
Future Engagements
According to the people, Russia would likely face pressure from India to increase and vary its imports. The two countries will also work to ease national currency transfers and lift the constraints imposed on Russia’s banking sector by Western sanctions.
According to foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, the early release of Indian citizens who were “misled into the service of the Russian Army” is also anticipated to come up during the talks. Although the precise number of Indians serving in the Russian military is unknown, estimates place the number between thirty and forty-five. After four Indian soldiers died on the front lines of the conflict with Ukraine, India requested a “verified stop” to Russian Army recruiting.
Nonetheless, India would persist in treading carefully on the diplomatic front over the Ukraine problem. US President Joe Biden will welcome leaders of the 32 countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to celebrate the alliance’s 75th anniversary virtually simultaneously with Modi and Putin’s summit. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been invited to the meeting in Washington after they met Modi last month during the G7 Summit.
Visit Austria
As the first Indian prime minister to visit Austria in over 40 years, Modi will depart via Russia. He said that he will be meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer and President Alexander Van der Bellen to explore how to advance the two countries’ “partnership to even greater heights in new and emerging areas of innovation, technology, and sustainable development.” “Austria is our steadfast and reliable partner, and we share the ideals of pluralism and democracy,” Modi continued.
Along with discussing ideas, Modi and Nehammer will converse with business executives from both nations to look at trade and investment prospects that would benefit both parties. Additionally, he will communicate with Austria’s Indian population.
