India expects to sign a series of agreements with Russia regarding the former's cooperation with the Russian Far East on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok in September, Indian Ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2019) India expects to sign a series of agreements with Russia regarding the former's cooperation with the Russian Far East on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok in September, Indian Ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma said on Thursday."[The] prime minister will be accompanied by a very big delegation, including businessmen and regional leaders, with respect to, of course, various ministers of the government. As you know, India is putting a particular focus on cooperation with the Russian Far East, and we expect some important agreements to be signed on cooperation with the Russian Far East," Varna told reporters.
The diplomat noted that Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi had yet to officially confirm his participation in the forum since not all of the procedures related to the election were over.
"Prime Minister Modi said, yes, he would be very happy to come, but he will formally accept the invitation after the elections," the ambassador said, adding that the embassy expected Modi's participation to be confirmed soon.
The ambassador added that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev would visit India in the "next few weeks" to prepare for the EEF and Russia-India bilateral summit.
"That would be a very important visit for the preparation of the Eastern Economic Forum," he concluded.
This year's EEF, which will be held from September 4-6, is expected to focus on the national program for the Far East's development. The first EEF was held in 2015 at Russian President Vladimir Putin's initiative. The forum is aimed at encouraging national and international investments in Russia's Far East and boosting wider cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region.
