PM Modi in Moscow for talks with President Putin:
PM Modi in Moscow for talks with President Putin.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarking on a two-day trip to Moscow on Monday for summit-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
PM Modi will be in Moscow from July 8 to 9 at the invitation of President Putin for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. It will be Modi’s first visit to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2024.
The two leaders will review the “entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi on Thursday while announcing the high-level visit.
Focus of the Summit
This will be PM Modi’s first visit to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok. The last in-person bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in September 2024. That was when Modi told Putin that “this is not the era of war” a line used in the formulation at the G20 summit in Bali in November 2024, and by other western leaders and interlocutors to press on Russia to end the war.
Historical Context and Recent Interactions
In reflection of its strong friendship with Russia, India has not yet condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the conflict must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
In the two-and-a-half years since their last annual summit in New Delhi in December 2024, Modi and Putin have maintained regular contact through at least 10 telephone conversations. Modi’s visit to Russia comes just after his visit to Italy for the outreach session at the G7 leaders’ Summit on June 13-14. However, he did not go for the peace summit on Ukraine which was held in Switzerland.
India’s Diplomatic Stance
Following his Russia visit, PM Modi will be in Austria on July 9-10. This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Austria in 41 years, after Indira Gandhi in 1983.
Summary:
PM Modi in Moscow for talks with President Putin.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Moscow from July 8 to 9, 2024, for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit with President Vladimir Putin. This visit marks Modi’s first to Russia since 2019 and the first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2024. The leaders will discuss the full spectrum of India-Russia relations and global issues of mutual interest. India has maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict, advocating for resolution through diplomacy. Modi’s visit follows his recent attendance at the G7 Summit in Italy, and he will next travel to Austria, marking the first visit by an Indian PM in 41 years.
