Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia from July 8 to 9 to participate in the 22nd India-Russia annual summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday. The summit will review the comprehensive range of multifaceted ties between India and Russia. Following his visit to Russia, PM Modi will travel to Austria, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 41 years.
Earlier, thetheorist.in had reported that amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, leaders of both the countries have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit their respective nations.
This will be PM Modi’s first visit to Russia in nearly five years, with his last visit being in 2019 for an economic conclave in Vladivostok. The annual summit represents the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries. The 21st summit took place on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi, where President Vladimir Putin attended and 28 MoUs and agreements were sealed.
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PM Modi and President Putin last held bilateral talks during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022, where PM Modi urged an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, PM Modi has had multiple telephonic conversations with both President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. India has not condemned the invasion, maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. India’s import of Russian crude oil has significantly increased despite the G7 price cap and rising discontent in Western countries over this procurement.
After Russia, PM Modi will visit Austria from July 9 to 10, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 41 years. In Austria, PM Modi will meet President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Chancellor Karl Nehammer. They will also address business leaders from both countries. PM Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community in both Moscow and Vienna.
