India and Russia are considering a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow in early July for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to sources familiar with the matter. If this visit happens, it will be Modi’s first trip to Russia since 2019 and his first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
The annual India-Russia Summit hasn’t been held in the past two years, with Putin last visiting India in 2021 for this event. While no formal announcement has been made by either side, people involved in the preparations in New Delhi and Moscow suggested that Modi’s visit is expected to be a brief, day-long trip. Some reports indicated that July 8 might be the date, but this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
In Moscow, Yuri Ushakov, an assistant to the Russian president, confirmed that active preparations are underway for Modi’s visit. He emphasized that while the exact dates are yet to be announced, both sides are working closely to finalize the schedule.
Ushakov stated, “I can confirm that we are preparing a visit by the prime minister of India. We cannot (say) the dates as yet, because the dates are announced by the parties in agreement. But we are actively preparing. I will emphasize once again, this visit will take place.”
The trip is expected to be an official visit rather than a State visit, meaning it will focus more on meetings and discussions rather than ceremonial elements. Notably, India has not yet sent an “advance liaison team” to Russia, which is usually a prerequisite for any foreign visits by the prime minister.
Modi and Putin last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September 2022. During this meeting, Modi urged Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
The two leaders have since spoken on the phone several times, with their most recent conversation occurring on June 5 when Putin congratulated Modi on his election win, highlighting the strengthening of India’s international authority.
Modi’s potential visit to Moscow comes shortly after he decided to skip the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan from July 3-4, likely due to the ongoing session of the Indian Parliament and strained relations with China. India will be represented at the SCO Summit by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar instead.
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A visit to Kazakhstan would have brought Modi face-to-face with leaders such as Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the first time in his third term. India had sent an advance liaison team to Kazakhstan to prepare for Modi’s planned visit.
The proposed visit to Moscow is seen as a signal of continuity in India’s policy of strategic autonomy. Despite growing ties with the US and other Western countries, India has not publicly criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has increased its purchase of discounted Russian crude oil to control domestic prices.
However, India has consistently called for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and a return to dialogue and diplomacy for a lasting solution.
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