Moscow: Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia and his talks with President Vladimir Putin will focus on bilateral trade and economic relations, some new areas of science and technology research. He expressed confidence that the talks will yield concrete results in many areas.
Announcing the high-level visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in India on Thursday that the two leaders will comprehensively review the multifaceted relations between the countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit on Monday and said he is looking forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sharing views on various regional and global issues as well as playing a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region.
This is part of the annual summit meetings between the two countries.
Indian Ambassador to Russia Kumar told PTI Video that comprehensive talks on trade, economic and investment cooperation and connectivity will be the main focus of discussions during Modi’s visit. “This is part of the annual summit meetings between the two countries and therefore its agenda will focus on all issues of our bilateral relations,” Kumar said.
When asked about possible decisions in the energy and defence sectors, Kumar said, “We have several documents on which we are working. Some of these agreements are related to trade and economic sector and connectivity as well as some new areas like scientific and technological research. So I hope that we will get concrete results in many of these areas.”
This will be Modi’s first visit to Russia in nearly five years. He last visited Russia in 2019. So far, 21 annual summits have been held between India and Russia. The last summit was held in New Delhi on 6 December 2021. President Vladimir Putin came to India to participate in this summit.
India’s import of crude oil from Russia at a cheaper price has also increased significantly despite the price ceiling set by the G-7 countries and growing uneasiness about purchases in many Western countries. The Indian Embassy in Russia said that according to the data of the Department of Commerce, bilateral trade has reached an all-time high of US $ 65.70 billion in the financial year 2023-24.
Major items exported from India include pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and mechanical equipment, iron and steel. Major items imported from Russia include oil and petroleum products, fertilizers, mineral resources, precious stones and metals, vegetable oil, etc.
Tags: India russia, PM Modi, Vladimir Putin
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 8, 2024, 12:35 IST