Indian Prime Minister Modi visits Russia for the first time in 5 years

According to RIA Novosti, on July 8, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a visit to Russia. This is his first foreign trip since his re-election and his first visit to Moscow in five years.

This trip of the Indian leader makes the West worried about "President Putin's diplomatic victory".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia at the invitation of President Putin. The last time the Indian Prime Minister visited Russia was in September 2019, when he attended the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok.

Russian President Putin visited New Delhi in 2021; and met Prime Minister Modi in September 2022, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan.

The leaders of the countries regularly maintain contact through phone calls. In June 2024, President Putin congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his re-election and his third term as Prime Minister of India. The two leaders agreed to define a roadmap for continuing “constructive personal interaction.”

Russia and India have not only had close bilateral relations since the Soviet era, but also cooperated on platforms such as BRICS, SCO and G20. At the United Nations, India has always opposed anti-Russian resolutions.

New Delhi is also interested in strengthening cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Consultations are underway on establishing a free trade zone between Russia and India.

At the upcoming talks, as the Kremlin reported, President Putin and the Indian Prime Minister will discuss “prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda.”

“Given the trustworthiness of the relations between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi, we can expect an exchange of views on all issues on the agenda. Issues of regional and global security are always on the agenda. In addition, bilateral economic and trade cooperation is always one of the main issues discussed,” said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President.

The West is closely watching Prime Minister Modi’s visit. According to Bloomberg sources, President Putin and Prime Minister Modi will also discuss cooperation in the military-industrial complex.

Reuters believes that India, which has increased its purchases of Russian oil, will “demand a higher discount than the current level of $3-3.50 a barrel.”

Nandan Unnikrishnan, an expert at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, recalled that the sides had not exchanged high-level visits for a long time, leading to speculation that India was distancing itself from Russia. So the expert said that Mr. Modi's trip would put an end to such speculation.

CNN (USA) said: "Russia has taken over the rotating presidency of BRICS this year. This allows President Putin to counter the growing isolation of the West and assert himself as a key player on the broader diplomatic stage."