MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2021) Russian President Vladimir Putin will lead an official delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for an official visit to the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, where he will hold the 21st Annual India-Russia Summit with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.
According to the Indian External Affairs Ministry, the visit will kick off in the morning with Shoigu and Lavrov having a bilateral meetings with India Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar.
These meetings will be followed by the inaugural meeting of the 2+2 dialogue format at 11:30 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT), during which the defense and foreign ministers are expected to discuss bilateral, regional, international political and defense issues. The meeting will take place at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan cultural center.
The summit between Putin and Modi will begin at the Hyderabad House for state guests at 5:30 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT). The leaders will take stock of the state and prospects of bilateral relations and discuss ways to further improve the strategic partnership between Moscow and New Delhi. It will also provide an opportunity for Putin and Modi to exchange views on regional multilateral and international issues.
Nikolay Kudashev, the Russian ambassador to India, has stated that an extensive joint statement will be made after the meeting and will include practically all aspects of the countries' international cooperation, as well as focus on the respect for the central role of the United Nations, commitment to multiplicity, preservation of strategic stability and joint contribution to the meeting novel challenges.
In addition to the statement, agreements in transport, science, space, military and technical cooperation, culture and education are also expected, the diplomat stated.
The ambassador has also emphasized that Putin's visit signifies the return of face-to-face contacts, notwithstanding the threat of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
