The BRICS TimesPutin’s First India Visit in Four Years Kicks Off with Tribute to Father of the Nation
Ceremonial Welcome and Respect at Rajghat
Following a grand ceremonial welcome, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his respects at Rajghat. He visited the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in the national capital. This happened after he received a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. President Putin honored the Father of the Nation. He laid a wreath and offered floral tributes at the memorial site. He also signed the Rajghat visitors’ book. Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, accompanied the Russian President.
High-Level Talks Scheduled
President Putin is on his first trip to India after a four-year gap. This State visit will feature the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. He will hold important talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Russian President is in India for a two-day State visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the invitation.
Arrival and Warm Reception
Before his visit to Rajghat, the Russian Federation’s President received a warm welcome. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He received a ceremonial tri-services guard of honour. The forecourt resonated with both the Indian and Russian national anthems. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was present at the ceremony. Delhi LG VK Saxena and CDS General Anil Chauhan also attended. President Murmu and President Putin introduced their respective country’s dignitaries. Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and Kremlin aide Dmitry Peskov were among them.
Renewed Personal Connection
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting again. This is four years after their last in-person meeting on Indian soil. Today they are set for bilateral talks in the capital. President Putin arrived in the national capital on Thursday. PM Modi broke standard protocol to personally greet him on the tarmac. PM Modi gave Putin a hug after his arrival at Palam Airport. PM Modi shared his delight on X (formerly Twitter). He stated that the “friendship” between the two leaders is “time-tested.” He was happy to welcome Putin back to India after four years. Both leaders then shared a car ride. They went to Prime Minister Modi’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence. There, Putin was presented with a copy of the sacred Bhagwad Gita.
