PM Modi's 2-day Russia visit to begin tomorrow: Check what's on agenda

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will be flying to Moscow for a two-day Russia visit, which India's ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar called "very significant".
This will be PM Modi's first Russia visit ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin has called a "special military operation".
Envoy Vinay Kumar said the two leaders will exchange views on developments in bilateral ties and discuss other regional issues of mutual interest, according to news agency ANI.
Replying to the importance of PM Modi's visit after being sworn in as PM for the third term, Vinay Kumar said, "The visit is very significant. It is taking place after a gap of three years. We have the tradition of the annual exchange of summit-level meetings between the President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of India and the last one was in 2021. So, since then, a lot has changed around the world, but also our relations have expanded."
This will be the 22nd India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit. The last summit took place in New Delhi in December 2021.
"Russia is now one of the very important sources of energy resources in India. Also, trade has expanded in other areas. So this visit becomes very important for the leaders to exchange views on all these developments in the bilateral relationship, but also other regional and international issues of mutual interest," he added.
PM Modi is scheduled to reach Moscow late afternoon on Monday and will attend a private lunch-on hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Tuesday, PM Modi will meet the Indian community in Russia. After interacting with the Indian diaspora, the Prime Minister will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Kremlin and visit an exhibition venue in Moscow.
Asked about the issues that will be discussed during the meeting between PM Modi and Russian President Putin, the Indian envoy said, "Well, the first thing that I want to say is that I'm in no position to prejudge what the two leaders will talk. But, I can certainly tell you that the visit is in the framework of our annual exchange of the Presidential and Prime ministerial visit that we have in world summits and so the context is bilateral. But, certainly global issues, including this war that you mentioned, will be discussed. And the leaders will exchange their views and their perspective on these developments."
The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned the Russian operations in Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
PM Modi's last trip to Russia was in 2019, when he visited the Far East city of Vladivostok. India and Russia are both members of the BRICS group of countries.
India, the world's third-largest crude consumer, has been a major buyer of discounted Russian oil since the Kremlin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and has deep economic and political ties with Moscow.