21st Annual Edition of India-Russia Summit Underway
New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India to hold the 21st annual edition of the India-Russia summit with his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The duo last met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit which was held in November 2019 and the two haven't met since.
Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia are also accompanying Putin as part of the Russian delegation. The Defence and Foreign Ministers of both the countries will hold a meeting together to discuss numerous issues.
This visit is part of a wider effort to further deepen the bilateral relationship between the two nations. They are expected to sign a number of bilateral agreements in crucial areas of defence, trade and investment, energy and technology. Both the parties aim to boost co-operation and work together for their mutual benefit. India and Russia will also hold their first-ever 2+2 dialogue.
The Foreign Minister of India Dr S.Jaishankar has highlighted the special and unique relationship that the two countries share and has also expressed his optimism by stating that the outcome of their meeting will be fruitful.
Jaishankar also expressed his concern about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and mentioned the common interests which they share. Ensuring peace and stability in war-torn Afghanistan will benefit both India and Russia according to him and added that it will have wider repercussions in the region if they fail to control the situation.
He also emphasized the growing threat from terrorism and extremism and said the dangers emanating from these violent outfits need to be contained through collective action.
As far as the defence sector is concerned, India and Russia have signed an agreement for the procurement of 6,01,427 AK-203 assault rifles through a joint venture called the Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited. Earlier, India signed a deal with the Kremlin to purchase the S-400 air defence system.
PM Modi and President Putin will commence their meeting at 5:30 pm according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The two leaders are believed to share a warm relationship with each other.
Moscow is perhaps New Delhi's most reliable partner and this intimate relationship dates back to Soviet times. During the wars with Pakistan, Moscow provided military and diplomatic support to New Delhi. Hence, it is essential for India to nurture this robust relationship.
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