Putin's India Visit: High-Stakes Summit with Modi Awaits, But Details Remain Shrouded in Secrecy

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to land in New Delhi on Thursday for a highly anticipated summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks Putin's first visit to India in nearly four years, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War. The high-stakes meeting is expected to focus on bolstering trade and defence cooperation between the two nations, amidst a significant downturn in India's relations with the US. Modi and Putin have already met earlier this year in China and have held several telephone conversations, leading up to the summit. A wide range of agreements are expected to be signed during the 23rd India-Russia Summit, which will take place on Friday. These agreements will cover areas such as trade, economy, healthcare, academia, culture, and media, with the aim of strengthening the bilateral strategic and economic partnership. Putin's aide, Yury Ushakov, has hinted that a joint statement will be adopted, along with bilateral documents, across various sectors, including a Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030. The Russian President's itinerary for the visit is as follows: he is expected to arrive at the Palam Air Force Station in Delhi at approximately 6:35 PM on Thursday, followed by an official photo session and a private dinner hosted by PM Modi. On Friday, he will be hosted at a ceremonial reception by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, before laying a wreath at Rajghat in honour of Mahatma Gandhi. Putin's main engagement will be the 23rd Summit talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House, which are expected to last for a couple of hours. This will be followed by press statements and a business event, details of which remain undisclosed. The Russian President will then meet with President Droupadi Murmu before returning to Moscow at 9 PM.