Russian Prez Vladimir Putin likely to visit India in December; discuss defence, trade with PM Modi
At the summit, the two sides are expected to finalise several agreements in the fields of defence, trade and investment, and science and technology.
FollowRussian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India next month for a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is likely to result in tangible outcomes in further expanding ties in areas such as defence, trade, and energy, according to people familiar with the development. They added that both parties are in negotiations to finalise the visit for the second week of December, while Russia is prepared to transfer the first batch of S-400 missile systems to India within the next month.
Ahead of the summit, the two sides are slated to have the first two-plus-two foreign and defence ministerial conversation in Moscow, which will provide additional impetus to the two nations' overall unique and privileged strategic' alliance. At the summit, the two sides are expected to finalise several agreements in the fields of defence, trade and investment, and science and technology. The meeting will also announce a joint committee on technology and science and refresh a framework for military-technical cooperation for the next decade.
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Both nations have a framework that allows India's prime minister and Russia's president to meet yearly for a review of all ties. So far, 20 annual summit sessions have alternated between India and Russia. For many years, Russia has been a reliable ally for India, and the nation is an important pillar of New Delhi's foreign policy. According to the individuals listed above, both parties are committed to the S-400 contract.
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Despite a warning from the Trump administration that the transaction might lead to US penalties, India struck a USD 5 billion agreement with Russia in October 2018 to purchase five S-400 air defence missile systems. In 2019, India paid the first payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems. Following the imposition of US sanctions on Turkey, there have been fears that Washington may take similar harsh measures on India. Russia is scheduled to begin supplying S-400 missiles to India later this year.
