Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three day official visit to Russia and Austria tomorrow. In the first leg of his visit, Mr. Modi will be in Moscow for the 22nd Annual Summit between India and Russia. The annual summit would provide an opportunity for Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to review the whole range of bilateral issues, including defence, trade linkages, investment ties, energy cooperation, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
They will also share perspectives on regional and global developments of mutual interest. Both leaders will also assess the status of bilateral engagements in groupings such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the G20, the East Asia Summit, and the UN.
The Russian President will host a private dinner for the Prime Minister tomorrow. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s interactions would include an interface with the Indian community in Russia. He will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kremlin and visit the Rosatom Pavilion at the exhibition venue in Moscow. These engagements will be followed by restricted-level talks between the two leaders, which will then be followed by delegation-level talks.
Briefing the media earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that India and Russia have had a special and privileged partnership since 2020, which has remained resilient in the wake of multiple geopolitical challenges. He added that the annual summit between the two leaders is the best mechanism to steer and drive cooperation between India and Russia. Speaking to the media, Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar termed the visit very significant, saying it is taking place after a gap of three years.
In the second leg of his two-nation tour, Prime Minister will be visiting Austria from the 9th to the 10th of this month at the invitation of the Chancellor of Austria. This will be Prime Minister’s first visit to Austria. He will hold restricted delegation-level talks with the Chancellor of Austria as well as a high-level business engagement. Austria is an important central European country and offers excellent opportunities for bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, renewable energy, high-tech areas, start-up sectors, media, and entertainment.