What Key Issues Will Prime Minister Modi Address During His Critical Russia Visit?

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia provides a significant opportunity for direct discussions between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin on a range of issues, including trade.

Certain issues between India and Russia were highlighted by S. Jaishankar as needing resolution.

Photo Credit: PTI

Modi's Russia Visit

"There are issues, like the trade imbalance, that need addressing. At a leadership level, this visit allows Prime Minister Modi and President Putin to sit down for direct talks. Following their directions, we will see how the relationship can be further advanced," he said.

The necessity of an annual summit between India and Russia was emphasized by him. "This tradition of annual summits is a good one. As two countries with a strong and consistent history of collaboration, we value the importance of these summits," he told ANI.

"Even last year, during my visit to Moscow at the end of the year, I conveyed a message from the Prime Minister affirming our commitment to the annual summit, with a promise to hold it sooner rather than later," he added. After three years, the India-Russia annual summit will be held

PM Modi will travel to Russia on July 8, following an invitation from Putin for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. This summit marks the first in three years. The last bilateral summit was held in December 2021 when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited New Delhi.

PM Modi is expected to discuss both regional and global issues of significance with Putin. India's ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit as "very significant." "Russia has become an important source of energy resources for India, and trade in other areas has also expanded. Therefore, this visit is crucial for leaders to exchange views on developments in the bilateral relationship, as well as other regional and international issues of mutual interest," he said.

What will PM Modi do in Russia?

PM Modi's agenda includes a private meeting with President Putin, delegation-level talks, restricted talks, a lunch hosted by President Putin for the Prime Minister and his delegation, a visit to an exhibition centre in the VDNKH Complex, Rosatom Pavilion, and the exchange of documents prepared for signing during the visit.

PM Modi will also address the Indian diaspora. The leaders are expected to discuss global issues, including the Ukraine-Russia war. India-Russia trade, having surpassed 65 billion dollars, was noted to have a trade imbalance favouring Moscow.

"Trade has expanded significantly over the last three years, surpassing USD 65 billion. However, there is a need to balance this trade, as it heavily favours Russia. We aim to expand India's export items and quantities to balance trade better, while also finding ways to sustain the growth in bilateral trade," he said.

"New items for export to Russia, such as agricultural products, ceramic tiles, auto components, engineering goods, and chemical products, are being considered. Traditional areas like pharmaceuticals will continue, but we aim to increase their volume and add new items to the trade basket," he added.