Putin to Visit Modi with Lavrov and Shoigu

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 6. The main format of the meeting will focus on personal communication between the leaders of the two countries, as reported by Armenpress.

The last time Putin and Modi met was in 2019 during the BRICS summit held in Brazil. Over the past two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the leaders have maintained regular communication in a remote format.

“We attach great importance to the special face-to-face format of the leaders’ relations, as it allows for open discussions on the most complex and delicate issues of the international situation,” said Yuri Ushakov, assistant to the Russian president, to reporters on the eve of Putin's visit to India. He emphasized that “the core of all negotiations between the countries is the personal communication of the leaders, and this will be ensured during the visit.”

Putin's upcoming visit to India is a reciprocal gesture; Modi previously visited Russia in September 2019 to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. Accompanying the president from the Russian side will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, and Assistant Yuri Ushakov. During the negotiations involving the delegations, Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft, will join them.

According to Ushakov, lunch is scheduled to be organized by Modi in honor of President Putin. “The leaders will be able to discuss the more sensitive and possibly complex issues that could not be addressed during the negotiations with the delegations,” he added.