Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community in Moscow during his two-day official visit to Russia, drawing enthusiastic cheers and chants of ‘Modi-Modi’. He began his speech by greeting the crowd as ‘Priye Moscowa’, receiving thunderous applause. In his address, PM Modi emphasized India’s remarkable progress in recent years, stating that the ‘entire world is amazed looking at the speed of development India has acquired in the last ten years.’ He also expressed his unwavering commitment to continue this momentum, declaring, ‘I have taken an oath to work three-times faster and with three-times more strength in my third term.’ PM Modi attributed India’s transformation to its belief in the strength of its 1.4 billion citizens and its diaspora worldwide. He arrived in Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov welcomed PM Modi at the Vnukovo-II Airport, where he was accorded a ceremonial welcome. This visit marks the 16th meeting between PM Modi and President Putin in the past 10 years, underscoring the strong bilateral relationship between the two nations. The last in-person meeting between the two leaders took place at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand in 2022. In 2019, PM Modi was conferred the highest Russian state honor, ‘Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First.’ This visit to Russia is significant as it is PM Modi’s first since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv began in 2022. Following his visit to Russia, PM Modi will depart for Austria, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the nation in 40 years.
