PM Modi receives Russian President Vladimir Putin at his resident 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. (Photo/Twitter@narendramodi)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening on a two-day visit. Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the annual bilateral summit.
Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at Palam Air Force Station. The Russian leader then was welcomed by PM Modi at his residence 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
"Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship," PM Modi said in his tweet along with photos of him sharing a hug with Putin. Later in the evening, PM Modi Modi hosted a one-on-one dinner for Vladimir Putin at his official residence where the two leaders held a discussion on a host of issues, including bilateral cooperation and strategic issues.
The 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit will take place in New Delhi on Friday during which Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors. The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.
A number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the USD 5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India. The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.
Also Read: S-400 missile defence system: All you need to know
The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system agreement, with a top Kremlin aide saying that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.
The mega defence deal between India and Russia has upset the US which has warned of sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. (Twitter/@MEAIndia)
The Trump administration had imposed sanctions late last month under Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA which was signed into law last August, on China for purchasing fighter jets and missile defense system from Russia.
Responding to a question on India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia, a State Department Spokesperson said, "We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA."
(With inputs from agencies)
