Vladimir Putin invites PM Modi to visit Russia next year

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended invitation to Prime Minister Narender Modi to visit Russia next year. The information has been shared by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. 

"We will be glad to see our friend, Prime Minister Modi in Russia," Putin told Jaishankar, news agency PTI reported.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1740097337425629621

Jaishankar who is currently on a five-day official visit to Russia met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, before meeting Putin and during a joint media appearance, he said that he was confident that Prime Minister Modi and President Putin will meet for an annual summit next year. He also added that both the leaders have been in to frequent contact.

Honoured to call on President Vladimir Putin this evening. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi and handed over a personal message.

Apprised President Putin of my discussions with Ministers Manturov and Lavrov. Appreciated his guidance on the further developments of… pic.twitter.com/iuC944fYHq

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 27, 2023

India-Russia Relationship

Continuing the tradition, India and Russia hold annual summits, hosted alternately in each country. The most recent summit was in India in December 2021, so Vladimir Putin's invitation for next year upholds this tradition. according to the experts this will help in strengthening the strategic partnership between both the countries. It is to be noted here that India and Russia have a long-standing strategic partnership encompassing defense, energy, and economic cooperation. A bilateral visit would provide an opportunity to further strengthen this partnership and discuss areas of mutual interest.

In addition to this, the current global political situation, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and its impacts, makes continued dialogue between India and Russia even more important. A visit by PM Modi could provide insights into India's stance on various international issues.

India Russia Trade

Speaking on bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar appreciated the fact that the India-Russia trade is at an all-time high and crossed 50 billion USD last year. "What is important is that this trade is more balanced, sustainable, and provides for more market access," he added.