New Delhi, Dec 4 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India Thursday evening on a two-day visit to participate in the annual bilateral summit talks with PM Modi, in a visit being watched closely by the West.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Russian President at the Palam technical airport, in a special gesture, reaffirming the close ties between the two nations as well as the warmth of their personal relations.
PM Modi and President Putin exchanged a handshake and a warm hug as the Russian leader alighted from the aircraft.
The two leaders then got into a white SUV car and drove off from the airport.
PM Modi is hosting a private dinner for President Putin this evening, ahead of the formal summit tomorrow.
The visit is the first by President Putin to India since the Ukraine conflict, and comes as talks are on between Moscow and US President Donald Trump’s special envoys on a peace deal on ending the Ukraine conflict.
Prime Minister Modi had visited Moscow last year for the annual summit talks.
On Friday morning, President Putin will begin his official engagements with a ceremonial welcome and then travel to Rajghat to pay respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial.
This will be followed by the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit at Hyderabad House, during which PM Modi will also host a working lunch for the Russian President and his delegation.
Key discussions are expected to include additional S-400 air defence systems, small modular reactors and the Russian stealth bomber Su-57.
Energy security is set to feature prominently in the talks, amid India being slapped with extra US tariffs over purchase of Russian oil.
The two leaders are expected to discuss the latest US peace plan on Ukraine.
Ahead of the visit, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov in Delhi today.
Signalling their disapproval of President Putin’s visit, the envoys of Britain, France and Germany had penned a joint article in an Indian newspaper criticising the Russian President over the Ukraine conflict.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed strong disapproval of the anti-Putin article, describing it as “unacceptable and unusual”.
