Russia expecting a “very important and full-fledged visit” of PM Modi
Russia expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay a “very important and full-fledged visit” to Moscow for summit-level talks with President Vladimir Putin, with the Kremlin claiming the West was “jealous” of the trip.
Prime Minister Modi has accepted Russian President Putin’s invitation to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in Moscow on July 8 and 9. This will be Modi’s first trip to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The two leaders will assess the two countries’ diverse relations and exchange perspectives on current regional and global problems of mutual concern, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi on Thursday, announcing the high-level visit that will begin on Monday.
Prime Minister Modi’s schedule in Moscow will be extensive, and the two leaders will be able to hold informal discussions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russia’s state-run VGTRK television channel on Saturday.
“Obviously, the agenda will be comprehensive, if not overly busy. “It will be an official visit, but we hope the heads will be able to talk informally as well,” he stated.
Peskov stated that Russian-Indian relations have reached the level of strategic collaboration. He stated that there would be both one-on-one talks in the Kremlin and delegation-based meetings.
“We are expecting a very important and full-fledged visit, which is so crucial for Russian-Indian relations,” he was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.
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West “closely monitoring” PM Modi’s visit, says Russia
Peskov also stated that the West is closely and jealously watching Prime Minister Modi’s impending visit to Russia.
“They are envious, which indicates they are closely watching it. Their careful monitoring indicates that it is extremely important to them. And they are not mistaken; there is something of enormous importance,” Peskov said in answer to a query about Western politicians’ jealousy over Modi’s visit to Russia, according to the Tass news agency.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Modi has had multiple phone discussions with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasizing the necessity of resolving the war that has harmed the world economy.
Given its close ties with Russia, India has yet to denounce Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, insisting that the situation be addressed by diplomacy and negotiation.
