In an unprecedented move, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac when the latter’s plane arrived in India for a two-day state visit. While the Russian Embassy had sent Putin his own car, when it was time to get to the private dinner prepared for them, they simply went together in Modi’s car. This seemed to repeat some of the choreography of the Anchorage meeting with President Trump, where Putin traveled together with Trump, at his invitation, to their next meeting, breaking the planned protocol. Modi presented Putin with a Russian copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a famous ancient Indian scripture.
Today, Putin will be hosted by Modi at a private dinner. Tomorrow, he will visit the grave of Mahatma Gandhi, followed by a formal welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace. Then he will participate in the 23rd Russia-India Summit. After the summit, Putin will also inaugurate RT’s New India channel and attend a state banquet hosted by Indian President Dhraupadi Mulmu.
The Times of India reports that the two leaders are expected to comprehensively review all aspects of this “special and priority strategic partnership,” including defense cooperation, energy security, trade expansion, and collaboration in emerging fields. They will also exchange views on major global and regional issues, including the latest developments in Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific region.
Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that the two sides will issue a joint statement and sign several bilateral documents covering multiple areas. Among them is the “Development Plan for Key Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation Strategy (to 2030),” considered a roadmap for long-term trade and industrial cooperation.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also indicated that the agreements would include areas of closer cooperation in the field of defense.
