New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Russia and Austria from July 8-10, marking the Indian leader's first visit to the Russian Federation in nearly five years. The PM's last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.
PM Modi will be in Russia on July 8 and 9 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries, where both leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest. So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia.
After departure from Moscow, PM Modi will travel to Austria on July 9. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years. PM Modi will call on Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with his counterpart, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, after which both leaders will address business leaders from the two countries, according to the MEA.
'Great opportunity for bilateral ties'
The Kremlin said in March that Modi had an open invitation to come to Russia and that a meeting with Putin would take place. Notably, Putin met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last year in Moscow, where he extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Russia in 2024. "We will be glad to see our friend, Mr Prime Minister Modi in Russia," Putin told Jaishankar.
The two leaders share cordial relations and Putin has expressed his appreciation of PM Modi several times in the past. Speaking to news agency ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the visit was a great opportunity for bilateral ties, citing the growing economic partnership between the two countries.
"There was a bit of a delay in our annual summits, it is a good tradition, we are two countries which have a strong history of working together. We did value the need for an annual summit. Last year when I went to Moscow, I carried a message from the PM that we are committed to the annual summit and we will do it sooner rather than later...it is a regular recurrence. It is a way of taking stock of any relationship," Jaishankar said.
India-Russia relations
India has a longstanding strategic relationship with Russia. India has a strong dependence on Russia for defence supplies, with Moscow having supplied 65 per cent of India's weapons purchases in the last two decades. India has also resisted Western sanctions to buy Russian oil at discounted prices to curtail the inflationary impact of increasing oil prices.
Thus, India has decided to take a nuanced approach in its diplomacy aimed towards the Russia-Ukraine war. While not explicitly condemning the invasion of Ukraine, India has spoken against civilian deaths and nuclear threats issued by leaders in Russia. India has also abstained from voting against Russia in several Western-introduced resolutions.
Putin has expressed admiration of PM Modi several times in the past, saying he was "surprised" by his tough stance on defending the national security interests of India and he "cannot imagine that Modi could be frightened" to take any step contrary to the interests of India and its people.
Indian nationals in Ukraine
However, a slight thorn in India-Russia relations have been the reports of Indian nationals being recruited by the Russian Army to fight in Ukraine. The news of two Indian nationals being killed has not gone well with New Delhi, which has repeatedly called for the safe and expeditious return of the Indians from war-affected areas.
Ahead of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Kazakhstan, Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and raised strong concerns over Indian nationals involved in the war zone in Ukraine and pressed for their safe return. He told ANI that it was unacceptable that Indians find themselves in the army of another country in a warzone.
"Several Indians have been pressed into services with the Russian Army, only when they come back we will know the full circumstances. But, whatever the circumstances are, to us it is unacceptable that Indian citizens find themselves in the army of another country in a warzone," he said, adding that India is in touch with the Russian Defence Ministry over the matter.
The MEA confirmed in April, that among the Indian nationals who were working as support staff in the Russian Army, 10 have returned to India. As many as 20 others were allegedly duped into fighting for the Russian Army in the war against Ukraine on the pretext of lucrative jobs.
(with inputs from ANI)
ALSO READ | Jaishankar raises 'strong concern' over Indian nationals in Russia's 'war zone' ahead of SCO meet
