External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed optimism about the upcoming India-Russia Annual Summit, scheduled for July 8th in Moscow. He highlighted the potential for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to directly address trade imbalances during their meeting.
Jaishankar emphasized the importance of the annual summit as a platform to review and strengthen bilateral ties. He acknowledged that there has been a slippage in the regularity of these summits, but stressed the value of their continuation given the strong and steady history of cooperation between India and Russia.
He recalled his visit to Moscow at the end of last year, where he conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to the annual summit. Jaishankar noted that the summit provides an opportunity to take stock of the relationship, noting that the economic relationship between India and Russia has grown significantly.
The 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit will see Prime Minister Modi discuss regional and global issues of importance with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is expected to engage with the Indian community in Russia and visit the Kremlin during his visit. The previous summit, the 21st, was held in December 2021 when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited New Delhi.
The upcoming summit is expected to focus on addressing trade imbalances, among other key areas of cooperation between the two nations.
