Ties with Russia: President Putin to visit India on December 5
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid fast-changing geodynamics and realignment of countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 5 as the two countries continue to strengthen ties despite the Kremlin’s ongoing war on Ukraine, the media reported on Wednesday.
He will participate in the plenary session of the Russia-India Forum taking place that week, according to Roscongress Foundation, which is organizing the conference.
The Roscongress Foundation is a socially-oriented, non-financial development institution, and a leading organizer of international conventions, exhibitions, business, social, sports and cultural events.
The Kremlin had earlier confirmed that the Russian leader would make the trip in December.
President Putin spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by phone in October, and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen further the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between the two countries.
India had earlier resisted calls by President Donald Trump to halt purchases of Russian oil after the US imposed a punitive 50 percent tariff on Indian exports as Washington sought to ramp up pressure to halt Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
President Trump on Tuesday said Washington and New Delhi were “pretty close” to a trade deal that would allow him to reduce the tariff rate on Indian goods.On Monday, he noted a reduction in India’s purchases of Russian oil, which had soared since the conflict began in 2022.
PM Modi and President Putin last met in Beijing in September when Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in the port city of Tianjin in September. The three leaders were photographed huddling in conversation on the sidelines and laughing casually.
