Putin's India Itinerary: Private Dinner With PM Modi, Visit To Raj Ghat & More

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin will land in New Delhi on Thursday for a packed two-day visit to attend the annual India-Russia Bilateral Summit. Notably, this will be the first time Putin will come to India since 2021. The 30-hour visit will also be Putin's first visit to India after the Ukraine invasion. Moscow aims to elevate cooperation with India to a “qualitatively new level” and deepen economic, defence and energy ties with India.

Here are the key details of Putin's India itinerary:

Private Dinner With PM Modi

President Putin will be received at the Delhi airport by top Indian officials.

Thereafter, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for the Kremlin chief. The dinner will be hosted at the 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, which is the official residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of India.

Putin To Be Welcomed With Guard Of Honour

The Kremlin chief will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, complete with a guard of honour presented by all three Indian armed services. The President will also be introduced to members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. 

Visit To Raj Ghat

Putin is also set to visit the Raj Ghat Memorial and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He is set to lay a wreath at the samadhi of Gandhiji.

Bilateral Summit & Probable Agreements

The core of the visit unfolds at the Hyderabad House, where restricted-format talks, limited to just six to eight members on each side, will be held. The guarded meeting will allow the top Indian and Russian leaders to speak frankly before the beginning of a larger delegation-level discussions.

After discussions at the 23rd India-Russia Bilateral Summit, a joint statement is expected to be adopted and a wide range of bilateral interdepartmental and business agreements are to be signed, according to a statement released by Russia. In an online briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said focus of the bilateral meeting will be on firming up trade and defence ties.

As per reports, Indian officials have said that pacts will be signed in trade, economic, health care, media sectors with key focus on a mobility pact that will allow Indians to travel to Russia.

Meeting With President Murmu

President Vladimir Putin will also call on Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before attending a state banquet organised in his honour.

Departure Ceremony

A departure ceremony will be held for Vladimir Putin to mark the end of his visit. Following the ceremony, the President will fly back to Moscow late Friday night.

Why Is The Visit Important?

According to an official statement released by Russia, Putin's visit to India is of “great importance” as it provides an opportunity to discuss the entire extensive scope of Russia-India special and privileged strategic partnership in politics, trade and economy, science and technology, as well as cultural and humanitarian affairs, in addition to addressing current international and regional issues.

“All these themes will be the focus of the upcoming talks with the Indian delegation, led by Narendra Modi,” the statement added.

Also Read- 'Aim to Elevate Cooperation with India': Putin Ahead of Visit to New Delhi