Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India will be “very valuable”. Speaking outside the Parliament on Thursday, the Thiruvananthapuram MP stated that Putin's visit is important for the country.
Putin is expected to land in Delhi on Thursday evening. His arrival will be followed by a private dinner at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi and a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
What Shashi Tharoor said
“I think this is an important visit. I think for our country, there is no doubt that there are significant bilateral relationships to be maintained with Russia, with China, with America. And we cannot accept a proposition that says that any one relationship has to be determined by the nature of another relationship. We should have the sovereign autonomy to actually decide the terms of our own engagement with each country,” said Tharoor.
The senior Congress leader added that various talks have been held for an array of agreements with Russia.
{{/usCountry}}The senior Congress leader added that various talks have been held for an array of agreements with Russia.
{{/usCountry}}“I believe that we have maintained good relations with Russia, with America and with China. At different times, there are different emphases. But I would say that my understanding is a lot of talks have already taken place at the expert level to work out some possible agreements that might be signed when President Putin is here. And that would be very valuable for us,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Delhi on high alert
Ahead of Putin's visit, Delhi has been placed on high alert. Officials and personnel from SWAT, anti-terrorism cells and snipers and quick-reaction teams have been deployed across the capital.
Putin will be visiting India after four years. This also marks the Russian president's first visit since the start of Ukraine war.
During his two-day visit, a discussion on trade, economic cooperation, industrial cooperation, innovative technologies, transport, peaceful space exploration, mining, healthcare and labour migration programmes is expected.