Russia Prez Putin to arrive in India on State Visit; PM Modi to host private dinner for him today

New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in New Delhi on Thursday evening on a State Visit for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit
This is his first visit here since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022. The last time he visited the country was in December 2021.
The two-day State visit is at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Modi is set to host a private dinner for Russian President Putin shortly after his arrival in New Delhi today.
On December 5, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome and a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan, before he proceeds to the Raj Ghat to pay homage at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
The two leaders will hold talks in a restricted format and with their delegations at Hyderabad House.
The several agreements focuses on cooperation in areas such as trade, economy, agriculture and academia.
According to the Kremlin, the Russian delegation will hold comprehensive discussions with its Indian counterparts on cooperation in the political, trade and economic, scientific and technological, and cultural and humanitarian spheres. Current international and regional issues will also be on the agenda, TASS reported.
According to the Russian state media, 10 intergovernmental documents and more than 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities of the two countries are being prepared for signing.
There will be joint press statements following the talks.
The two leaders will participate in a business event jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Roscongress at Bharat Mandapam.
He will formally launch the Indian channel of Russian state broadcaster RT at an event at ITC Maurya Hotel on Friday evening.
Putin will participate in a State dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan before departing from India.
Acccording to the MEA, Putin's visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, outline the vision for strengthening the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership', and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Ahead of Russian President's Vladimir Putin's India visit, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Co-chair of the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation Denis Manturov said Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to India marks a "return to the tradition of annual high-level summits," describing it as a major step toward deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries."
The discussions will also focus on deepening industrial cooperation, advancing joint investment projects and expanding collaboration in high-technology domains. Manturov stressed that the forum is intended to serve as a platform for direct engagement between businesses from both countries, helping to accelerate commercial partnerships and fuel growth in mutual trade.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said that the sale of additional S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles could be on the agenda during the visit.
"Highly on the agenda, and this could be discussed. Our military industry is working pretty well. Russian arms 36 % in Indian armed forces and hopefully will continue," Peskov said.
Russia also hopes to discuss the possibility of India acquiring the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter.
"SU-57 is the best plane in the world. SU57 will be on the agenda," said Peskov.
"As far as our cooperation in the defence industry goes, let's remember the famous Brahmos missiles. It's not only just production or it's not only acts of buying or selling, it's also the exchange of high technologies, and it really paves the way for a bright future in this field of cooperation. We're developing quite, quite a variety of very complicated systems. And in this sense, of course, we have capabilities. We are ready to share this with our Indian friends, our experience," he added.
Kremlin Spokesperson Peskov also said that there was the possibility of an agreement on nuclear energy between India and Russia during the President's visit.
The two leaders last met in person on September 1 this year in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
Putin's visit marks the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between India and Russia, established in October 2000. During the Russian President's visit to India in December 2010, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."
Intensifying trade and economic relations has been identified as a priority area, with a target of increasing bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars by 2030. Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record high of 68.7 billion dollars in 2024-25.
On December 2, Russia's lower house of Parliament, the Duma, ratified an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and India on procedures for dispatching military personnel, as well as military ships and aircraft, to each other's territory.
The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) agreement signed in Moscow on February 18, 2025, between Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar and former Russian Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, will "streamline not only the dispatch of troops and equipment, but also their logistics."
"The established procedure will be used during joint exercises, training sessions, humanitarian aid, disaster relief efforts after natural and man-made disasters, and in other cases by agreement," as per the document submitted by the Russian Cabinet to the Duma in November, TASS reported.
During his visit to India, Putin is being accompanied by a Russian delegation, including Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and other ministers. The delegation also includes representatives of the Federal Customs Service, Russia's financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugayev, and the CEOs of Roscosmos, Rosatom, and VEB.RF.From the business community, Russia will be represented by the heads of Rosneft, Sberbank, Basic Element, Rusal, VTB Bank, the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers, Roskhim, and Transmashholding, among others, the Kremlin aide said. (ANI)