New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): Four years after their last in-person meeting on Indian soil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin reunited in the national capital on Friday in an encounter that carried symbolic weight and strategic significance as the world watched two prominent leaders reconnect amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.
Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday. Breaking protocol, PM Modi personally welcomed him at Palam Airport, embracing the Russian President as traditional Indian dance performances greeted the visit. The leaders shared a car ride to the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, where Modi presented Putin with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita translated into Russian. Modi posted on X that he was “delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India,” calling the India-Russia friendship a “time-tested one that has greatly benefitted our people.” He also described the Gita as a source of inspiration for millions worldwide.
Putin’s visit, his first to India since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, runs through December 5 and includes the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit at the invitation of PM Modi. Before bilateral talks, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome and a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan and will pay homage at Raj Ghat. The leaders will hold restricted-format talks and meet with their delegations at Hyderabad House.
Officials said the agenda includes agreements and discussions spanning defence, trade and the economy, science and technology, agriculture, academia, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The Kremlin noted comprehensive talks are expected on political, trade and economic, scientific and technological, and cultural and humanitarian spheres, along with current international and regional issues. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the visit offers an opportunity to review bilateral progress, outline a vision for strengthening the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” and exchange views on regional and global matters of mutual interest.
Former diplomat Arun Singh highlighted the historical nature of the India-Russia partnership, noting Moscow’s longstanding political and defence support for New Delhi, including at the UN Security Council. Speaking from the Kremlin in interviews with Aaj Tak and India Today, Putin praised Modi’s leadership and described the Indian prime minister as steadfast under pressure. He characterized his relationship with Modi as both professional and personal, rooted in mutual trust and long-term cooperation.
The two-day state visit is expected to reinforce ties and yield agreements in multiple areas of bilateral cooperation. (ANI)
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