PM Modi arrives in Moscow, will hold summit talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

It is Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Russia in five years. He had attended an economic summit in the Russian city of Vladivostok way back in 2019.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Moscow, kickstarting his two-day state visit of Russia and then Austria. The prime minister was accorded a guard of honour upon his arrival at the airport in Moscow. Modi was received by 1st Deputy Prime Minister (1st DPM) of Russia, Denis Manturov. Manturov is senior to the Deputy Prime Minister who received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Russia. The 1st DPM Manturov will also accompany PM Modi to the hotel from the airport in the same car.“Over the next three days, will be in Russia and Austria. These visits will be a wonderful opportunity to deepen ties with these nations, with whom India has time tested friendship. I also look forward to interacting with the Indian community living in these countries,” the prime minister had posted on X ahead of departure to Russia. It is Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Russia in five years. He had attended an economic summit in the Russian city of Vladivostok way back in 2019. It is also Modi’s first Russia visit since the outbreak of Ukraine war in 2022. During the 22nd India-Russia annual summit on Tuesday, Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin are expected to explore ways to further expand bilateral relations in diverse areas, including trade, energy and defence. The annual summit between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries. So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The last summit was held on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi. Putin had visited India to attend the summit. Putin, as head of the Russian state, has visited India nine times. Prime Minister Modi and President Putin last held bilateral talks on the margins of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022.