The BRICS TimesPrime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for Russian President Vladimir Putin. This special dinner is scheduled for Thursday, just hours after Putin arrives in New Delhi. This visit is part of the two-day India-Russia annual summit.
President Putin’s Key Visit to New Delhi
India is ready to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is his first trip since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin will arrive in Delhi on Thursday evening. He is here for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit.
Talks over the two-day visit will focus on strong defence ties. They will also cover important energy and trade cooperation. The overall goal is to deepen the bilateral partnership.
Summit Agenda Highlights and Key Discussions
Putin’s agenda includes meeting President Droupadi Murmu. He will also attend a private dinner with PM Modi on arrival. The leaders will discuss trade and economic cooperation. They will also cover “promising projects.” These include industrial cooperation and innovative technologies. Transport, peaceful space exploration, mining, and healthcare are also on the list. Labour migration programs are part of the talks too. Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov noted that political dialogue remains “regular and confidential.”
The visit is significant. It happens months after the US imposed punitive actions on New Delhi. This included applying a 50% tariff on Indian imports
Defence, Trade, and Financial Cooperation
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned a possible talk on Su-57 fighter jet supply. India is looking to buy fifth-generation fighter jets. The program includes Putin’s presence at the Russia-India Business Forum. He will also launch the RT TV channel in India. This shows the growing scope of cooperation.
A Bloomberg report says oil trade is also a focus. India wants inexpensive crude oil due to high import costs. They also want to avoid US tariffs and sanctions. Putin and Modi plan to discuss boosting bilateral trade from $68 billion to $100 billion by 2030. They also want better systems for transactions in their own currencies. This was shared by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Further talks will include shielding India-Russia trade from US sanctions. An offer for small modular reactors for nuclear energy is on the agenda. Deepening defence cooperation will also be discussed at the summit. Both nations may sign agreements. One agreement will ease the movement of Indian workers to Russia. They might also discuss New Delhi’s free trade proposal with the Eurasian Economic Union.
