PM Modi and President Putin to Discuss Trade in Moscow

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the importance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on trade imbalance issues. Jaishankar emphasized the value of the India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit, noting its role in strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

Jaishankar said, “There are issues…like the trade imbalance…So, at a leadership level, it will be a great opportunity for Prime Minister Modi and President Putin to sit down and directly talk to each other. And then obviously, as per their directions, we will see how to take the relationship forward.”

He called the summit a “good tradition” and mentioned that there has been a slippage in annual summits. He recalled his last visit to Russia at the end of the year, where he carried a message from PM Modi about the commitment to the annual summit.

PM Modi will be heading to Moscow on July 8 at the invitation of the Russian President to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. The 21st summit was held in December 2021 when President Putin visited New Delhi. PM Modi is expected to discuss issues of regional and global importance with President Putin. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra mentioned that PM Modi will also engage with the Indian community in Russia and visit the Kremlin.