Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China’s Tianjin, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday.
Both Modi and Putin will travel to China to attend the SCO Summit from August 31 to September 1.
“Right after the SCO Plus meeting (on September 1), our president will meet Indian Prime Minister Modi,” Ushakov told journalists.
It will be their first meeting this year, although they have been regularly in touch on the phone, he said.
“Our countries are bound by a special strategic partnership,” he said. “A relevant statement in this regard was passed in December 2010, which means that this year marks the 15th anniversary since then.” “What is especially important is that preparations will be discussed for the upcoming visit of our president to India in December,” Ushakov added.
Putin to visit India in December
Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to India in December, the Kremlin confirmed on Friday, as strong ties between the two countries are in focus after Donald Trump-led US administration’s imposition of trade tariffs on New Delhi.
Putin is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Monday in China’s Tianjin.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told AFP that the two leaders would discuss “preparation for the December visit.”
The announcement comes days after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s “massive” purchases of Russian oil. Washington has sought to cut Russia’s energy revenues, a crucial source of funding for Moscow’s state budget, as part of efforts to pressure President Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
India, however, has continued to expand energy cooperation with Russia, which also remains one of its largest arms suppliers. The partnership, rooted in Cold War-era ties, has long been described by both capitals as a strategic friendship.
Since Russia’s war against Ukraine in February 2022, Western allies have tried to reduce Moscow’s export earnings through sanctions and trade restrictions.