Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit India on 5-6 December. The Russian President will hold a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit is significant, as ties between the two nations are strengthening after the United States imposed a penal tariff on India over its purchase of Russian oil.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval visited Moscow in August, and at that time Putin’s visit was announced, but the dates were not confirmed. Later, Putin met Prime Minister Modi at the SCO meeting in China, where the two leaders held a meeting that lasted an hour.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to visit India before President Putin’s visit, to prepare for the summit and discuss bilateral issues.
At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, Lavrov announced that a visit by the Russian President is planned for New Delhi in December, marking the ongoing diplomatic preparations.
Speaking about India-Russia relations, Lavrov highlighted the depth of the bilateral agenda, covering trade, military and technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian matters, healthcare, high technology, artificial intelligence, and close coordination at international forums such as the SCO and BRICS.
On India’s trade autonomy, Lavrov emphasised, “We have full respect for the national interests of India, full respect for the foreign policy that Narendra Modi is carrying out to promote these national interests. We hold regular contacts at the highest level.” He further clarified that India is “perfectly capable” of making its own decisions in trade relations, including those concerning Russian oil.
Responding to questions about US tariffs imposed on India for importing Russian oil, Lavrov said, “(The economic partnership between India and Russia) is not under threat… The Indian Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have made it clear that India chooses its own partners. If the US has proposals on how to enrich bilateral trade between the US and India, they are prepared to discuss the terms for that. But when it comes to trade, investment, economic, military, technological, and other relations between India and third states, it is something that India will discuss only with those states in question.”
