Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 8-9. This will be PM Modi’s first trip to Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including defence, trade, investment, energy cooperation, and regional and global matters of mutual concern. This meeting is part of the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, a key institutional dialogue in the strategic partnership between the two countries.
India on Russia-Ukraine War
Despite India’s neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict, the visit is seen as significant as it comes amid evolving geopolitical dynamics. The meeting offers an opportunity for the leaders to assess the progress of their joint involvement in organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20. The visit will also provide PM Modi a chance to interact with the Indian community in Russia. Overall, the talks are expected to focus on strengthening the traditionally warm relations between India and Russia.
Congress on PM’s Visit
Congress member Mr. Jairam Ramesh tweeted on the issue and mocked PM on his statement of being non-biological:
Trade Relations
India’s trade relationship with Russia has become increasingly lopsided in recent years. Between fiscal years 2014 and 2023, India’s exports to Russia stagnated, falling from $3.17 billion to $3.14 billion. Meanwhile, India’s import bill from Russia surged exponentially, rising from $6.34 billion to $46.21 billion over the same period.This growing trade imbalance is unsustainable and detrimental to India’s domestic industries. The Congress party has questioned whether rectifying this trade imbalance is on the agenda for Prime Minister
Modi’s upcoming talks with Russian President Putin. They have also asked what vision the Prime Minister has to improve the trade balance between the two countries.
Relation of India and USSR
India’s relationship with the USSR and later Russia has been built on the astute diplomacy and strategic initiatives of successive Congress governments over the decades. During his ten-year tenure as Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh met with Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev a total of 16 times in India and Russia. In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only met with President Putin 11 times in his 10 years in office.While the current government has made claims about its role in stopping the war between Russia and Ukraine, it appears that India-Russia relations have cooled somewhat under PM Modi’s leadership
Indians In Russia
According to the Indian Embassy in Moscow, at least 50 Indian nationals have joined the Russian Army, and at least two individuals have already been confirmed as fatalities of the war. Many of these Indians have reportedly been “duped” into fighting a war where they have no direct stake, seeking to escape the poverty and unemployment crisis in India.The Congress has questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take up the cause of these Indian youth fighting for the Russian Army and ensure their safe return to India as soon as possible. The Prime Minister is set to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine during his upcoming visit to Russia.
Russian Ministry
The Russian Ministry has highlighted the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Moscow, emphasizing that it is a “very important and full-fledged visit” for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. The visit is expected to cover a wide range of topics, including bilateral ties, regional and global issues, and will feature extensive discussions between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, noted that the agenda will be extensive and that the two leaders will have both formal and informal talks. He also mentioned that the West is closely monitoring the visit, indicating that it is a significant event in the context of evolving geopolitical dynamics
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