Putin Arrives Today: PM Modi Dinner Kicks Off High-Stakes Talks On Su-57 Fighters & Sanctions Workarounds | Know Itinerary | India News
Putin’s visit to India: Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin his two-day visit to India on Thursday with a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, a few hours after his landing.
The visit took place as part of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit and amid ongoing pressure from the US over punitive sanctions imposed on India over its defense ties with Russia. High-level talks are expected to focus on deepening defense ties and trade and energy cooperation.
Summit Agenda and Key Focus Areas
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The annual summit talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin are scheduled to be held on Friday, December 5. This will be Putin’s first visit to India since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
Deepening Defense Cooperation
Important Agreements: Ahead of the visit, Russia ratified an important defense agreement with New Delhi.
Su-57 Fighters: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two sides may discuss the possible supply of Russia’s advanced Su-57 fighter jets as India is in the process of searching for fifth-generation aircraft.
Insulating Trade from Sanctions
Impact of US Sanctions: A plan to insulate India-Russia trade from US sanctions will be a primary topic of discussion.
Trade Deficit: New Delhi is likely to insist on finding ways to reduce its soaring trade deficit as a result of India’s large purchases of crude oil from Russia. The repercussions of US sanctions on this oil trade will also likely be a matter of discussion.
Energy and Economic Relations
Nuclear Energy Proposal: A proposal from Russia regarding small modular reactors for nuclear energy is on the agenda.
feathering: One of the agreements expected to facilitate the transition of Indian workers to Russia.
Eurasian Free Trade: New Delhi’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union is also likely to be discussed.
Itinerary and Diplomatic Missions
President Putin is expected to land in New Delhi around 16.30 on Thursday.
Thursday Evening: Prime Minister Modi will host a special dinner for President Putin, who extended his hospitality after his visit to Moscow last year.
Friday: Before the summit talks, Putin will be welcomed with a ceremony at Hyderabad House.
He is also likely to visit Rajghat in the morning. Prime Minister Modi will host a working dinner for the Russian delegation.
After the summit, Putin will attend the state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. It is also preparing to launch Russia’s state broadcaster RT’s new India channel.
Strategic Context and Global Diplomacy
The meeting is considered an important chance for India to underline its strategic autonomy by revitalizing the country’s defense and economic partnership with Russia. President Putin is also likely to brief Prime Minister Modi on recent US diplomatic initiatives to broker an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict.
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