'Stronger ties will....': PM Modi on 1st visit to Russia since Ukraine invasion

PM Modi received a guard of honor at the airport and a warm welcome at The Carlton Hotel in Moscow from the Indian diaspora and Russian artists.

In his first trip since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Russia on Monday for summit talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Upon landing in Moscow, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to strengthen the bilateral partnership, particularly in futuristic areas, and emphasised that stronger India-Russia ties would greatly benefit their citizens. PM Modi highlighted India's commitment to playing a supportive role in regional peace and stability.

PM Modi was welcomed at the Vnukovo-II airport by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who accompanied him to his hotel. Manturov had also received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Russia.

On Tuesday, PM Modi will co-chair the 22nd India-Russia annual summit with President Putin, meet with the Indian community, and visit the Rosatom pavilion at an exhibition. He will also lay a wreath at the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.'

The summit's primary focus will likely be on enhancing bilateral cooperation in energy, security, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. The Ukraine conflict is expected to be a topic of discussion, with PM Modi likely urging Russia to stop recruiting Indians as support staff for the Russian military and to facilitate the return of those still involved.

The Prime Minister took to microblogging site X, sharing photos from his Russia trip on Day 1.

"Landed in Moscow. Looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between our nations, especially in futuristic areas of cooperation. Stronger ties between India and Russia would benefit our people", he wrote.

Landed in Moscow. Looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between our nations, especially in futuristic areas of cooperation. Stronger ties between our nations will greatly benefit our people. pic.twitter.com/oUE1aC00EN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2024

This is PM Modi's first visit to Russia since 2019, the first since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022, and the first in his third term as Prime Minister. President Putin is set to host a private dinner for PM Modi.

"PM is set to hold substantive discussions with President Vladimir Putin to advance the special partnership between the two countries. He will also interact with the Indian community in Russia," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on 'X.'

PM Modi received a guard of honor at the airport and a warm welcome at The Carlton Hotel in Moscow from the Indian diaspora and Russian artists. "A memorable welcome in Moscow! I thank the Indian community for their affection," PM Modi said on microblogging site X.

PM Modi highlighted that the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia has progressed over the past decade in various fields, including energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. He looked forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with Putin and sharing perspectives on regional and global issues. "We seek to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region," he said.

Despite the Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has maintained momentum in its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with Russia, advocating for conflict resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

The visit will also allow PM Modi to meet the vibrant Indian community in Russia. In a post on X, PM Modi mentioned his upcoming visits to Russia and Austria, describing them as opportunities to deepen ties with these nations, which share a time-tested friendship with India.

Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the agenda for the talks would be extensive and hoped for informal discussions between the leaders. The annual summit between India and Russia is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in their strategic partnership, with the summits held alternately in India and Russia.

The last summit took place on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi, where President Putin attended, resulting in 28 MoUs and agreements and a joint statement titled "India-Russia Partnership for Peace, Progress, and Prosperity."

PM Modi and Putin last met for bilateral talks during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022. During that meeting, PM Modi urged Putin to end the Ukraine conflict, stating, "Today’s era is not of war."

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, PM Modi has had multiple telephonic conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After concluding his engagements in Russia on July 9, PM Modi will head to Austria, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in over 40 years.

With inputs from agencies