Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit India next month to meet PM Modi
New Delhi: The President of Russia may visit India next month to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and develop strategic, defense, and other kinds of relations between the two countries. President Vladimir Putin may visit India in mid-December.
According to sources “Both sides are holding talks to firm up the visit around the second week of December even as Russia is preparing to make the delivery of the first batch of S-400 missile systems to India within the next one month.”
In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defense missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems in 2019. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defense system.
Russia and India are expected to hold the inaugural two-plus-two foreign and defense ministerial dialogue in Moscow which is set to add new momentum to the overall ‘special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
India and Russia have also reached the final phase of negotiation for a logistics support agreement and it is likely to be signed either during the two-plus-two talks or at the summit. The pact will allow militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defense cooperation.
(_Vinayak)
