New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): The Russian Foreign Ministry shared visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcoming President Vladimir Putin at Delhi Airport on Thursday, highlighting the warm reception and underscoring the strong diplomatic ties between India and Russia. The Kremlin confirmed that the gesture was unexpected, with the Russian side not informed in advance.
In a rare diplomatic move, PM Modi met President Putin at the aircraft ramp, breaking standard protocol. The leaders later travelled together in the same car from Palam Technical Airport, reflecting their longstanding personal rapport. This mirrors a similar gesture during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, in September, when both leaders shared a car ride to the venue.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasised the privileged strategic partnership between the two nations, noting extensive cooperation in sensitive areas, including technology sharing. “India is indeed our great partner,” he said.
President Putin’s two-day state visit, his first to India since 2021 and following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, will feature the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit on December 5. Discussions are expected to cover trade, defence cooperation, energy partnerships, the Ukraine conflict, Afghanistan, and broader regional and global issues.
During the visit, Delhi and Moscow plan to sign multiple agreements and MoUs across shipping, healthcare, fertilisers, connectivity, and other sectors. Indian businesses are expected to gain greater market access in Russia, boosting exports in pharmaceuticals, automobiles, agricultural, and marine products, while supporting job creation and farmers’ welfare. The Russian delegation includes a large group of business leaders, highlighting the economic dimension of the visit.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov recently expressed confidence that India and Russia can achieve a USD 100 billion trade turnover by 2030, citing rapid growth and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. The visit also provides an opportunity to strengthen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ and review progress in bilateral relations.
PM Modi has reiterated his advocacy for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stressing to President Putin that “now is not a time for war,” with global food, fertiliser, and fuel security at stake. During the visit, ten intergovernmental documents and over 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities of the two countries are expected to be signed. (ANI)
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