PM Modi to visit Russia next week, his first since Ukraine war.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8-9 and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official visit to Russia and Austria from July 8 to 10, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.The prime minister will be in Moscow on July 8-9, at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit.“The leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the ministry said.It will be Modi’s first trip to Russia since Moscow launched its military offensive in Ukraine.The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed.Modi and Putin will discuss “prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as relevant issues on the international and regional agenda,” the Kremlin said in a statement.The visit also follows Prime Minister Modi’s re-election for a third successive term. He last visited Russia in 2019 for an economic forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok. He last travelled to Moscow in 2015. Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trade partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. India has avoided condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine while emphasising the need for a peaceful settlement through dialogues.Following the summit in Russia, PM Modi will travel to Austria, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the European country in 41 years. In Vienna, Prime Minister Modi will call on Austria President Alexander Van der Belle and hold talks with the country’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Modi and Nehammer will also address business leaders from the two nations.