India’s Modi visits Russia: As it happened

09 July 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up his visit to Moscow for the 22nd bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi arrived in the Russian capital on Monday, after which he had informal talks with the Russian leader at his official residence near Moscow.

On Tuesday, Putin and Modi held closed door talks, as well as delegation-level discussions in the Kremlin. The two sides have discussed prospects for further development of Russian-Indian relations, with a focus on economic cooperation across sectors, including oil and gas, nuclear energy, fertilizers, space and research.

Around ten out of the 35-50 Indian citizens who were lured to the Ukraine conflict zone to fight alongside the Russian military have been repatriated with help of Russian officials, according to New Delhi’s foreign secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra.    

Prime Minister Narendra Modi “very strongly” raised the issue during his visit to Moscow, and insisted that the rest of the Indians in the warzone be rescued “as early as possible,” the diplomat noted.    

According to Indian media reports, several dozen Indians were lured to the battlefront by human traffickers, who offered them lucrative jobs. Last month, New Delhi announced that two Indian nationals had been killed, and urged its citizens to “exercise caution.”

People in India have reacted enthusiastically to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia. Those who spoke to RT from the capital of New Delhi, as well as people in Bengaluru and Karnataka, suggested that India and Moscow share a “special bond.” Some highlighted Russia’s defense cooperation with India. For several decades, Russia has been the South Asian nation’s largest supplier of arms. One person remarked that Modi’s visit is a “positive sign” for both nations and that ties would continue to improve.

During Narendra Modi’s state visit to Moscow, a dozen bilateral documents were signed, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.  

The diplomat stated that while the joint statement covers a range of areas, the countries have also agreed on cooperation in the Far East region of Russia, as well as engagement between arbitration bodies, cooperation on combating climate change, polar and oceanic research, and promoting mutual investments. Additionally, the leaders of Russia and India agreed on a detailed program for economic cooperation until 2030.

Russia and India have agreed on a new trade target of $100 billion by 2030, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told the media following high-level talks in the Kremlin. Previously, the leaders of the two countries had a target of $30 billion by 2025, which was surpassed by a significant margin during the last financial year.

In 2023, bilateral trade stood at $65 billion, having been driven by a surge in oil purchases. However, Indian exports to Russia stood at less than $5 billion, and both countries emphasized the importance of diversifying trade to make it more sustainable going forward.

Indians feel welcome in Russia, Udai Shankar, a member of the diaspora, has told RT. “It is not just the last few decades that Indians have been moving to Russia, it is actually a very ancient relationship,” said Shankar, who attended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the diaspora in the afternoon. Shankar remarked that he had been given the opportunity to shake Modi’s hand – something he felt would not have been possible in India.

Modi has confirmed that he will travel to the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. He added that Putin and Modi’s talks focused, among other things, on the international agenda and cooperation within BRICS, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Russia may sign a long-term deal with India to provide the South Asian country with a sustainable supply of crude oil, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak has said.

Novak, who held the post of energy minister between 2012 and 2020, said Moscow and New Delhi were interested in a long-term partnership, which has already resulted in a joint oil refinery project.

Earlier, Manish Vaid, a junior fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, India’s primary think tank, suggested in a column for RT that New Delhi was also expected to negotiate for higher discounts on purchases of Russian resources.

Putin’s and Modi’s visit to the Rosatom exhibition in Moscow on Tuesday as a part of their bilateral summit program is a sign of strengthening cooperation in the nuclear energy field, according to Dr. Lydia Kulik, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences.

The ‘energy bridge’ between the countries is not just the crude oil trade or Indian oil companies’ long-term investments in projects in Russia, including the Sakhalin-1 oilfied. Nuclear energy also plays an important role, the expert noted.

Putin and Modi have discussed in detail all the issues on their bilateral agenda, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He noted that the two leaders exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, adding that although the Indian prime minister does not intend to act as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev, he supports a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The spokesman also noted that the deliberations have raised new ideas about the crisis, without providing further details.

Modi has been awarded Russia’s Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the country’s highest state honors, dating back to the early days of the Russian Empire.

The ceremony took place in the Kremlin nearly five years after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the relevant decree. The document at the time noted Modi’s “outstanding achievements in the development of a particularly privileged strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the Republic of India.”

Modi has said that he had “productive discussions” with Putin, and that talks in the Kremlin focused on diversifying India-Russia cooperation in a number of sectors including trade, commerce, security, agriculture, technology and innovation.

“We attach great importance to boosting connectivity and people-to-people exchanges,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

NATO members are unlikely to heed Narendra Modi’s calls for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, adding however, that Russia will closely monitor developments at the bloc’s summit in Washington this week.

“We see that more and more leaders are talking about dialogue... There could be a lot of disagreements, but if dialogue is maintained, there is a chance to untangle [the crisis],” he noted.

There is no other example in the world to compare to the Indo-Russian relationship, Devadathan Nair, a visiting lecturer at the People’s Friendship University has told RT amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow.  

“We have had [the relationship] for the last 75 years, and we never had any issue which we have not agreed upon,” Nair said. The academic was among those to attend Modi’s address to the Indian diaspora earlier in the day and noted that the event had a “very enthusiastic” and “very positive” vibe.  He suggested that the West feels “unsafe” at Modi’s visit and wants India to steer clear of Moscow. However, that “will not happen,” Nair stressed.

Russia and India have forged a long-standing friendship over the years, Putin has said. He described the relationship, which dates back to the Soviet era, as a “particularly privileged strategic partnership.” 

The Russian leader also noted that the two countries prioritize the development of trade relations, adding that trade turnover increased by more than 60% last year alone. This trend has continued in 2024, with turnover increasing by another 20% in the first quarter, he said.

‘I am confident that our ties will see further strengthening in coming years,’ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in his opening remarks before closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking about the recent terrorist attack in Russia, Modi noted that country has faced threats coming from terrorism for four decades. “So, when terror incidents occurred in Moscow, when terror incidents occurred in Dagestan, I can imagine how deep its pain would be. I strongly condemn all kinds of terrorism,” Modi said.  

The Indian leader noted that in the past decade he and Putin have met 17 times. “This reflects the depth of our relations,” he said.

Referring to his talks with the Russian leader on the Ukraine conflict, Modi noted that they had a “respectful exchange of views” on the issues and that he shared “the desire for peace” expressed by the Global South. He added there is “no peace on the battlefield” and that a solution to the conflict must be found through dialogue.

“India is in favor of peace, and I want to tell the international community that after my talks with my friend Putin I am filled with hope,” Modi added.

Putin invited Modi to attend BRICS summit to be held in Kazan in October. Russia currently holds the rotating presidency of the economic bloc of which India is a founding member.

He also noted that Moscow and New Delhi are closely cooperating on the global stage, including on such platforms as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Putin thanked Modi for his attention to solving the most pressing global problems, especially when it comes to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Putin and Modi have arrived at the Kremlin, where they have started bilateral talks. According to a video released by the Kremlin, the closed door meeting is only being attended by a handful of top officials from both sides.

Modi was shown a model of a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker at the VDNKh nuclear energy exhibition, according to the video released by the Kremlin. Russia is the global leader in the number of icebreakers, with a whopping 41 such vessels, seven of which are nuclear-powered.

One of the major issues on Indian Prime Minister’s agenda on his Moscow visit is the growing trade imbalance between the two countries and finding an agreeable payment settlement mechanism or an alternative currency for the blossoming bilateral economic relations between the two countries to sustain the momentum.

Multiple solutions can be explored to resolve the issue of stranded Russian funds in the Indian financial system – as well as the larger trade imbalance. One of the easiest methods calls for Moscow to reinvest its rupee reserves directly into the Indian economy through capital markets – but there is a catch, writes Aaryaman Nijhawan, international relations researcher and political commentator.

READ MORE: https://www.rt.com/india/600536-tackling-rupee-ruble-dilemma/

Moscow and New Delhi are in talks to build six new Russian-designed high-capacity nuclear power units at a site in India that is yet to be determined, the Rosatom nuclear agency said. Russia is also offering India small modular reactors with a generating capacity of around 100-200 MW.

The construction of the six new units has been under discussion since at least 2018, after the agreement was signed by leaders at the 19th bilateral summit in New Delhi.

Russian nuclear technology has also been instrumental in the construction of the 6000 MW Kudankulam NPP in the southern part of the country. The plant’s first two units, each with a capacity of 1000 MW, entered service in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Two more units are nearing completion, and the construction of two others began in 2021.

Putin and Modi are touring the nuclear exhibition at the VDNKh, with videos from the scene showing the two leaders closely inspecting sleek-looking booths.

Moscow is India’s “all-weather friend,” Modi said during a meeting with the Indian community, before starting the official part of his program in Moscow.

“No matter how low the temperature dips below minus during Russian winter, the India-Russia friendship has always remained in ‘plus’; it is full of warmth. This relationship is built on a strong foundation of mutual trust and mutual respect,” the Indian leader said.

Modi added that he has a “special appreciation” for his “friend” Vladimir Putin for steering bilateral ties to greater heights over the last two decades.

Putin and Modi have arrived at the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh) in Moscow to examine the ‘Atom’ exhibition dedicated to nuclear energy, TASS reported, adding that they were greeted by Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Alexey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom agency.

Modi has laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall, which is dedicated to Soviet service members killed during World War II.

After viewing a Russian nuclear exhibition, Putin and Modi will head to the Kremlin for talks in "a narrow format", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He added that the two leaders will hold an “important protocol event” after the discussions, without giving further details.

This will be followed by India-Russia negotiations at an official breakfast attended by large delegations and featuring reports by the heads of various government departments, Peskov said.

Putin and Modi will visit the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh) in the northern part of the capital where the two leaders will tour an exhibition devoted to nuclear energy, a traditional area of Russia-India cooperation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

A US State Department spokesperson said on Monday that while engaging with Moscow, New Delhi must stress that any resolution of the Ukraine conflict needs to “[respect] the UN charter” as well as Ukraine’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.” 

Responding to the comment, an unnamed New Delhi official clarified to The Hindu that “India has always called for respecting the UN charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Modi is expected to advocate peace and diplomacy to resolve the conflict during his talks with Putin.

India is setting up two more consulates in Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced. The new facilities in Kazan and Ekaterinburg are aimed at making “travel and trade easier,” Modi said. At present, India has two consulates apart from its embassy in Moscow – one in St. Petersburg and another in Vladivostok.

Modi’s landmark visit to Russia is a signal that the Indian Prime Minister is determined “to stick to his own diplomatic path even as the West continues to isolate Moscow” over the Ukraine conflict, The New York Times reported. 

Modi’s trip to Russia allows Putin to show that “India has not slipped too far into the Western camp,” despite New Delhi forging close ties with the US, the Washington Post reported, citing Indian analysts.

Pankaj Saran, a former Indian ambassador to Russia, said that Modi’s trip to Moscow so early into his new term seeks to underscore that “India remains invested in the Russia relationship” and that it is willing to “cut… across party lines” to achieve its foreign policy goals.

Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the diaspora in Moscow, dancers in ethnic Indian attire performed traditional dances.

Indian culture remains extremely popular in Russia, with millions following Indian traditional dance, music, and cinema, and thousands studying Hindi and other Indian languages.

India attaches great importance to its traditionally warm relations with Russia, which has been New Delhi’s main supplier of arms and oil, the Financial Times has reported, commenting on Modi’s visit to Moscow.

Western sanctions have also pushed Moscow closer to China, the newspaper noted. Beijing and New Delhi have had a tumultuous relationship for years, aggravated by border clashes and regional rivalry. 

Addressing members of the Indian diaspora in Moscow on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had brought to Russia “the smell of Indian soil and the love of 1.4 billion people.” 

The trip to Russia is Modi’s first bilateral visit since he was reelected for a third consecutive term last month. “The day I took oath as PM for my third term, I vowed that in my third term, I would work with thrice the power, in thrice the speed,” he told the gathering.

Modi’s government intends to turn India into the world’s third largest economy during his current term, he said. India, which is the fifth largest economy at present, could become a $7.3 trillion economy by the end of the decade, according to New Delhi.

Another target during the third term is to build 30 million houses for the poor and create 30 million ‘Lakhpati didis’ (women who earn more than 100,000 rupees annually) as part of ongoing welfare schemes for female empowerment, Modi asserted.

The Ukraine conflict will loom large in the India-Russia talks, with New Delhi expected to convey to Moscow that “there is no solution on the battlefield” and that “dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” the Economic Times has reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, Indian officials will also stress that New Delhi has always called for the UN Charter to be respected, as well as the territorial integrity of nations.

Ukraine has refused any direct talks with the current leadership in Moscow after four of its former regions joined Russia in the autumn of 2022. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that Moscow is ready to immediately open peace negotiations with Ukraine once Kiev withdraws its troops from its former regions and commits to neutral status.

Russia and India will hold talks on a long-term oil supply deal for New Delhi during Modi’s visit to Moscow, the Economic Times reported. The Indian daily noted that the two nations have been discussing discounted crude oil supplies for some time.

According to the paper, the issue was also raised when Igor Sechin, the head of Russian oil giant Rosneft, visited India twice this year.

08 July 2024

The United States on Monday expressed its concerns over India’s relations with Russia against the backdrop of the visit to Moscow by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Washington said it called on the Indian leader to “emphasize Ukraine’s territorial integrity” during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

”We would urge India, as we do any country engaging with Russia, to make clear that any resolution to the conflict in Ukraine must respect the UN Charter regarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in full and frank dialogue, including our concerns about its relationship with Russia,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.

The Indian prime minister thanked his host for arranging their informal meeting at the president’s residence on Monday. “Gratitude to President Putin for hosting me at Novo-Ogaryovo this evening. Looking forward to our talks tomorrow, which will surely further cement the bonds of friendship between India and Russia,” Narendra Modi posted on X. He also attached pictures of the two leaders hugging one another. 

The bilateral summit between the Russian and Indian leaders is being held in Moscow for the first time since 2021, when Putin visited New Delhi. It also comes as Modi’s first state visit abroad after getting re-elected as prime minister for a third consecutive term.

The Kremlin released a video of an informal meeting between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence near Moscow. The footage shows the two leaders moving around the estate in a small vehicle resembling a golf cart. While strolling through the garden, they engaged in active discussions, both one-on-one and with interpreters.

During the conversation between Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi at the Russian president’s official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo on Monday evening, Putin personally congratulated the Indian Prime Minister on his re-election last month. “I think it was not by chance, but was the result of your work as the head of the government over many years,” the Russian president said. 

Putin noted that Modi has dedicated his entire life to serving the Indian people. “You have your own ideas, you are a very energetic person. You know how to achieve results in the interests of India and the Indian people,” he noted, adding that the size of India’s economy and the fact that it is now the world’s most populous country mean that  people’s family-planning horizon is expanding. “And this means that they feel confident, stable, which is very important.”

One of the major issues on Indian Prime Minister’s agenda on his Moscow visit is the growing trade imbalance between the two countries and finding an agreeable payment settlement mechanism or an alternative currency for the blossoming bilateral economic relations between the two countries to sustain the momentum.

Multiple solutions can be explored to resolve the issue of stranded Russian funds in the Indian financial system – as well as the larger trade imbalance. One of the easiest methods calls for Moscow to reinvest its rupee reserves directly into the Indian economy through capital markets – but there is a catch, writes Aaryaman Nijhawan, international relations researcher and political commentator.

READ MORE: https://www.rt.com/india/600536-tackling-rupee-ruble-dilemma/

Business ties between Russia and India are rapidly growing, said the honorary representative of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India, Igor Piasetskii.

The developments in bilateral relations have grabbed the headlines, he stated, adding that “everyone is talking about Russian-Indian cooperation.” Energy and natural resources have become “the most dynamically developing” economic fields in India and Russia has “proven itself to be the most reliable supplier,” the official told RT.

Putin and Modi have held an informal meeting at the Russian president’s official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo in the Moscow Region. The two leaders have been filmed talking while drinking tea on an open terrace. “We will have an official talk tomorrow, and today, we can calmly talk about the same issues but unofficially, in this homely environment,” the Russian leader has said.

Russia and India could strike a major nuclear energy deal during Modi’s visit to Moscow, Bloomberg has reported, citing senior officials familiar with the issue. An agreement would reportedly involve Russia providing uranium on a long-term basis to the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, which was built jointly with the Russian state company Rosatom. The plant’s two units, which each boast a capacity of 1,000MW, are operational; four more units are under construction.

Neither Moscow nor New Delhi have officially commented on the report so far. India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said last Friday that Russia “remains an important partner for India’s energy security and defense.”

India-Russia trade volumes surged to $65 billion in 2023, mostly involving energy exports. However, Indian exports to Russia only amounted to about $4 billion of that total, prompting New Delhi to attempt to address the imbalance.  

This is an opportune moment for Indian small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) to explore Russia’s potential across various sectors, writes Alok Kumar, Honorary Governing Body Member & Director BRICS CCI, President (Russia & Central Asia) at the Economic Council of India and Group Chairman at AKIS TECH Ltd. According to Kumar, challenges such as information gaps, logistics, and language barriers can be addressed through increased bilateral exchanges. Indian businesses should seriously consider new opportunities in Russia and prepare for long-term commitments, he argues.

READ MORE: https://www.rt.com/india/600559-unlocking-opportunities-russia-india/

Members of Russia’s Indian diaspora have staged a warm welcome for the Indian PM as he arrived to The Carlton Hotel in Moscow, a few steps away from the Kremlin. People gathered on the roadside near the hotel amid tight security, waving Indian and Russian flags.  

Inside the hotel, Modi had a brief interaction with Indian residents of Moscow.  “A memorable welcome in Moscow! I thank the Indian community for their affection,” Modi said on X, sharing pictures of his interactions. According to Ministry of External Affairs data, more than 30 million Indians have settled across the globe.

The prime minister was greeted by a cheering crowd as he arrived at a hotel in central Moscow. Footage published by Ruptly video news agency shows Modi waving to the people as he passes by.

Common “approaches” and “feelings” have underlined Moscow and New Delhi’s robust relationship since India’s independence from British colonial rule, Tatiana Shaumyan, head of the Center for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow, told RT while discussing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. The Soviet Union, she noted, helped India in its development after independence, which built a solid foundation for bilateral ties based on “trust.” 

She added that she hoped New Delhi’s ties with China, which have assumed greater significance given Moscow’s increasingly close relationship with Beijing, would continue to improve. “They (New Delhi and Beijing) have very good trade relations,” Shaumyan noted.

Since arriving in Moscow, Modi has posted several times on X (formerly Twitter) in English and Russian. The Indian prime minister said he was “looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” with Russia, and that stronger ties between the two nations would “greatly benefit our people.”

Earlier this month, New Delhi distanced itself from the communique issued at the end of a Ukraine ‘peace summit’ hosted by Switzerland. India stressed that only solutions acceptable to “both parties” in the conflict can achieve a lasting peace. New Delhi has also abstained from UN resolutions condemning Moscow over the hostilities with Kiev.

Since New Delhi aims to act as a bridge between and West and East as well as between North and South, it’s likely that Modi might act as a trusted interlocutor, especially after having assessed the mood of the G7 leaders. But it takes two to tango, Anil Trigunayat, a former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta, and a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation, writes for RT.

According to Trigunayat, with India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ (The whole world is one family) and its desired role as a Vishwa Bandhu (Friend of the whole world), New Delhi has to find ways to reduce the multiple crises that adversely impact on its national interests as well on those of the least-developed and developing countries.

READ MORE: ‘No topic is off limits’: Modi’s visit to Moscow explained

New Delhi has maintained robust ties with Moscow despite Western scrutiny over the Ukraine conflict. Bilateral trade has soared from around $13 billion in 2021 to $65 billion in 2023, primarily driven by India’s increased purchases of discounted Russian coal and oil.  

In a statement ahead of his departure to Moscow, Modi noted that ties between the two countries have advanced over the past decade, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.   

“I look forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues,” he said. “We seek to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region. The visit will also provide me an opportunity to meet the vibrant Indian community in Russia.”