Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow on Monday, July 8th. At Moscow Airport, PM Modi received a grand welcome with a guard of honour.
Several Russian leaders and military officials were present at the airport. PM Modi is on a two-day official visit to Russia and will participate in the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit with President Putin in Moscow.
This summit is taking place after a gap of three years, having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before departing for the summit amid the conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Modi stated on Monday that India aims to play a collaborative role in ensuring a peaceful and stable region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a private dinner for the Indian Prime Minister on Monday night ahead of their talks at the 22nd India-Russia Summit scheduled for July 9th.
This visit marks Prime Minister Modi's first trip to Russia since 2019 and the first bilateral foreign visit of his third term. It is also his first visit to Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. After completing his visit to Russia on July 9, Modi will depart for Austria.
This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 40 years. On Tuesday, Modi and Putin will discuss ways to expand further bilateral relations in various fields such as trade, energy, and defence at the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit.
Modi stated, "The special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia has grown over the past 10 years, encompassing areas such as energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people contacts."
He said, “I look forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues.” He added, “We want to play a collaborative role for a peaceful and stable region.”
The Prime Minister also mentioned that this visit would allow him to meet the vibrant Indian community in Russia.