It's confirmed! PM Modi to visit Russia next month – Defense News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia for the annual India-Russia summit next month. The visit will mark Modi's first visit to Russia in five years and his first bilateral trip abroad during his third term as prime minister. Although he recently attended the G7 summit in Italy, this visit was multilateral in nature. The last time Modi visited Russia was in September 2019 for the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, which was not a summit visit and did not take place in Moscow.

Preparing for the visit

Russian media, citing Yuri Ushakov, assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, confirmed preparations for Modi's visit. Although the final dates and agenda have not yet been officially announced by New Delhi, the visit comes at an important time, with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the deepening crisis in Western Asia. Ushakov said: I can confirm that we are preparing a visit by the Indian Prime Minister. We cannot (say) the dates at the moment, because the dates are announced by the parties by mutual agreement. But we are actively preparing, I emphasize once again, this visit will take place.

Annual India-Russia Summit

The last annual bilateral summit between India and Russia took place in 2021, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India. The focus of the summit was on the situation in Afghanistan and the standoff between India and China following the Galwan Valley clash. Despite the absence of the summit over the past two years due to various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, ties between the two countries have deepened. Earlier this month, Putin had a telephone conversation with Modi, congratulating him on his third term as prime minister.

The tradition of the annual summit between India and Russia began in October 2000 during President Putin's visit to India. The last summit took place in December 2021 in New Delhi, in the presence of President Putin. If Modi's visit goes ahead, it will be his first to Russia since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict began in 2022.

A strengthened relationship

India and Russia share a “special and privileged strategic partnership”, focused on key pillars such as defence, energy and connectivity. Ahead of the summit, with the aim of strengthening interoperability between the armed forces of the two sides, Russia approved a military agreement logistics pact with India.

Energy sector

Despite Western pressure, Indian imports of unrefined Russian oil have increased significantly over the past two years.

In the energy sector, Indian imports of Russian oil crude oil has increased significantly over the past two years, despite Western pressure. Connectivity projects, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor, are also at the heart of bilateral cooperation, aimed at facilitating trade and strengthening economic ties between two countries.

BRICS Summit and future prospects

Since Russia holds the BRICS presidency this year, it will host the BRICS summit in Kazan later this year in October, which Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend, given that India is a key member of the group.

President Putin has invited Modi to visit Russia several times, including during Foreign Minister S Jaishankar's visit last year. The BRICS summit provides a new opportunity for Modi to engage with Russia and other member countries on various global and regional issues.

Strategic importance

Modi's visit to Russia is of significant strategic importance. This comes at a time when global geopolitics is witnessing a shift and India's role as a major player on the international stage is becoming more and more pronounced. The deepening crisis in West Asia and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine add to the complexity of Modis' visit. These questions will likely be on the agenda during his discussions with Russian leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Russia is expected to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two countries. With defense, energy and connectivity projects at the forefront, the visit highlights the importance of India-Russia relations in a rapidly changing global landscape. As both countries prepare for the visit, the world will watch closely, anticipating the outcomes of this crucial engagement between two strategic partners.