"Now It’s Our Turn": Putin Set to Visit India Amid Ukraine War, Praises PM Modi

MOSCOW (The Uttam Hindu): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that preparations are being made for the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India. He said that the political dialogue between India and Russia is 'developing dynamically', the main reason for this is that Moscow and New Delhi 'have similar views on the emerging multipolar world order.'

"The history of relations between our countries is very old. It can be said that they have stood the test of time more than once," Lavrov said. He was speaking at the international conference 'Russia and India: Towards a New Agenda for Bilateral Relations'. The conference was also addressed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "It is symbolic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes to Russia on his first bilateral foreign visit after being re-elected last year. Now it is our turn. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted the invitation of the head of the Indian government. Preparations are being made for the visit of the Russian head of state to India," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Earlier, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov had confirmed that Putin may visit India in early 2025 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. "Our leaders have an agreement to meet once a year. This time, it's our turn," he had said during a press briefing. The Russian President's last visit to India was on December 6, 2021 during the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi. Meanwhile, PM Modi made two high-profile visits to Russia last year, attending the 22nd Russia-India Summit in July and later the BRICS summit held in Kazan in October.