Vladimir Putin to visit India soon, preparations already underway: Russian FM
Vladimir Putin last travelled to India in December 2021 for an annual summit.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that arrangements are being made for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India.
“(Russian) President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to visit from the Indian head of government,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Tass. "A visit by the Russian head of state to the Republic of India is currently being prepared."
Lavrov added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his first foreign visit to Russia after his re-election last year. "Now it’s our turn," he said.
The Russian foreign minister made the remarks during a video address at a conference hosted by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) titled “Russia and India: Toward a New Bilateral Agenda.”
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The exact dates for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India are yet to be announced.
Earlier in February, Tass news agency had reported that there was a “high probability” of a visit by the Indian premier to attend the annual military parade at Moscow’s Red Square to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
However, people familiar with the matter, on condition of anonymity, said that while the Russian side had invited PM Modi, a visit was not under consideration, as reported by Hindustan Times.
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In July 2024, Prime Minister Modi visited Russia. It was Modi's first trip to Russia in nearly five years. During the visit, Modi had invited the Russian President to visit India.
Vladimir Putin last travelled to India in December 2021 for an annual summit and the proposed visit will be the first since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
