International
oi-Ruchika Pareek
Russian
Foreign
Minister
Sergey
Lavrov
announced
on
Thursday
that
preparations
are
in
progress
for
Russian
President
Vladimir
Putin’s
visit
to
India.
According
to
Russian
news
agency
Tass,
Lavrov
confirmed
that
Putin
has
accepted
an
invitation
from
the
Indian
head
of
government.
“A
visit
by
the
Russian
head
of
state
to
the
Republic
of
India
is
currently
being
prepared,” Lavrov
stated.
He
also
noted
that
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
had
chosen
Russia
for
his
first
foreign
visit
after
his
re-election
last
year,
adding,
“Now
it’s
our
turn.”
Source:
PTI
Lavrov
made
these
remarks
during
a
video
address
at
a
conference
organized
by
the
Russian
International
Affairs
Council
(RIAC)
titled
“Russia
and
India:
Toward
a
New
Bilateral
Agenda.”
While
the
exact
dates
for
Putin’s
visit
remain
unannounced,
discussions
regarding
the
trip
are
ongoing.
Earlier
in
February,
Tass
had
reported
a
“high
probability”
of
an
Indian
delegation
attending
the
annual
military
parade
at
Moscow’s
Red
Square,
commemorating
the
defeat
of
Nazi
Germany
in
World
War
II.
However,
sources
familiar
with
the
matter
stated
that
while
the
Russian
side
had
extended
an
invitation
to
PM
Modi,
a
visit
was
not
under
consideration.
PM
Modi
last
visited
Russia
in
July
2024,
marking
his
first
trip
to
the
country
in
nearly
five
years.
During
this
visit,
he
extended
an
invitation
to
President
Putin
to
visit
India.
Putin’s
upcoming
visit
will
be
his
first
to
India
since
December
2021,
when
he
attended
an
annual
summit.
It
will
also
mark
his
first
trip
to
the
country
since
the
start
of
Russia’s
invasion
of
Ukraine
in
2022.
