A senior official stated on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top priority during negotiations in Moscow next week will include resolving India's economic imbalance with Russia and winning the release of Indians who have been deceived into fighting in the conflict in Ukraine.
As part of the yearly summits between New Delhi and Moscow, which began in 2000, Modi will travel to Russia on July 8–9 to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
There are concerns about the message India could be sending because Modi's visit falls around the NATO summit in Washington, DC, which takes place from 9 to 11 July The conference will focus mostly on the Ukraine war.
The most senior diplomat in the foreign ministry, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, however, denied any connection and stated that Modi's visit was scheduled as part of the two nations' summit calendar.
When asked about the visit by Modi, he told reporters, "The bilateral visit this time is just a scheduling priority that we have undertaken and that's what it is."
Although New Delhi's historical links to Moscow date back to the Soviet Union, as it has liberalized its economy and deepened its geopolitical connections, it has recently grown closer to the West, particularly Washington.
India has increased its purchases of inexpensive Russian oil to record levels but has refrained from condemning Russia over its war in Ukraine and instead urged the neighbours to resolve their dispute through conversation and diplomacy.
