Putin’s visit to India: Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in New Delhi today on a state visit to India for the 23rd annual India-Russia Summit.
During his two-day stay in the country’s capital, President Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on regional and global issues of common interest.
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This is President Putin’s first official visit to India since war in Ukraine started in February 2022. Putin last visited India in December 2021.
Several agreements are expected to be signed during the Russian President’s visit to India covering areas such as trade, economy, health, academia, culture and media. The broader objective of the visit is to cement the bilateral strategic and economic partnership between the two nations against the backdrop of a sharp decline in India’s relations with the US.
Putin is expected to land in Delhi on Thursday evening. After that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for him at his official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg as reciprocity for a similar gesture extended to the Indian prime minister by the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow in July last year.
Putin’s main engagements are scheduled for Friday, starting with a visit to the Rajghat, followed by a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The leaders will hold talks at Hyderabad House for the main summit.
After lunch with Modi on Friday, Putin will attend the India-Russia Business Forum. He will return to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where President Droupadi Murmu will host a banquet in his honour.
Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov said a joint statement is expected to be adopted and bilateral documents signed in a number of areas, including the Program for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation by 2030.
Modi last met Putin bilaterally on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin this year, and they spoke by phone five times in 2024.
“This visit… provides an opportunity to comprehensively discuss the broad agenda of Russia-India relations. In addition to the main talks with Narendra Modi, the program includes a visit to the Russia-India Business Forum and participation in the launch ceremony of the RT TV channel in India,” Ushakov said.
Putin to visit India: itinerary
-Russian President Putin will land in New Delhi on Thursday, December 4 around 4:30 pm, according to news agency PTI. However, a report in News18 said that President Putin will arrive in Delhi at 6.30 pm.
-After landing, he will go to the Prime Minister’s residence for a private dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putin also hosted Modi for dinner during the prime minister’s visit to Moscow last year.
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-Putin’s official engagements will take place on Friday, December 5, starting the day with a meeting with the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, likely around 11:00 AM.
-From Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Putin will head to Rajghat to pay his respects at the memorial. He will then head to Hyderabad House, where most of the diplomatic negotiations will take place.
– The annual India-Russia Summit between Prime Minister Modi and Putin will be held on Friday, December 5 in Hyderabad. PM Modi will also host a working lunch for President Putin and his delegation at Hyderabad House, the venue of the meeting.
–After the summit, Putin is set to launch the new Indian channel of Russian state broadcaster RT before attending a state banquet hosted in his honor by President Droupadi Murmu.
-The Russian leader is expected to leave India around 9:30 pm on Friday to end his nearly 28-hour visit, news agency PTI reported.
Buying Russian oil on the agenda?
New Delhi is expected to push for a solution to the growing trade deficit caused by India’s large-scale purchase of Russian oil at the summit talks, news agency PTI reported.
The Russian president’s trip to India comes at a time when Indo-US relations may be at their worst in two decades, after Washington imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 percent tax on New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
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The impact of US sanctions on India’s purchases of Russian oil is likely to be discussed at the summit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Delhi’s oil purchases from Russia may drop for a “short period” due to Western sanctions, but noted that Moscow was taking steps to increase its supplies.
At the summit, Putin is expected to brief Modi on the latest US efforts to end the Ukrainian conflict. India has consistently maintained that dialogue and diplomacy are the only ways to end the war.
Agreements to be signed?
Following the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides are expected to sign several agreements, including one on facilitating the movement of Indian workers to Russia and another on logistical support under a broader framework of defense cooperation.
It found that within the trade basket, India’s exports to Russia are expected to increase significantly in areas such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food products and consumer goods, the news agency said.
The move comes amid concerns in Delhi over a widening trade deficit in favor of Russia.
This visit… provides an opportunity to comprehensively discuss the broad agenda of Russian-Indian relations.
India’s annual purchases of goods and services from Russia are about $65 billion, while Russia’s imports from India are about $5 billion. Officials said India is also considering strengthening cooperation in the fertilizer sector. Russia supplies India with three to four million tons of fertilizer annually.
Key things
- Putin’s visit signifies the importance of India-Russia relations in the changing global context.
- The aim of the summit is to address the trade imbalance and strengthen cooperation in various sectors.
- Discussions will include strategic agreements on defense, energy and economic partnership.
