Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 6 and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.
The meeting between Modi and Putin is expected to lead to specific outcomes in the fields of defence, trade and energy, The Indian Express reported.
The two countries are likely to renew a framework for military-technical co-operation for the next decade. They are also expected to announce a joint commission on technology and science, the newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying.
This will be the first time that Modi and Putin will meet face-to-face after November 2019, when they met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Brasilia. Modi had visited Vladivostok in Russia in September 2019 for the previous annual summit between India and Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu will also visit India on December 5 and 6 for the 2+2 Dialogue.
The annual summit between Russia and India was not held in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the inaugural 2+2 Dialogue between India and Russia, the two countries are expected to discuss the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and the situations in Afghanistan and Syria, the Hindustan Times quoted Russian officials as saying.
India and Russia are also expected to sign a Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement, allowing militaries of the two countries to access logistics at each other’s bases, according to the newspaper.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the establishment of a new 2+2 Dialogue with Russia will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Till now, India has had 2+2 ministerial dialogues with the United States, Australia and Japan.
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