Vladimir Putin To Visit India Soon, Dates Being Finalised, Says Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, the Kremlin said today, adding that Moscow and New Delhi are "working on the dates". The visit, which is likely to be early next year, will be part of a laid down structure between the two countries for reciprocal annual visits by their leaders.

Without giving any specific details on the agenda of the visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon."

President Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his visit. The two leaders had last met during PM Modi's visit to Kazan in Russia for the BRICS Summit in late-October. During the visit, PM Modi had extended an invitation to President Putin to visit India.

In their last meeting Prime Minister Modi had conveyed to President Vladimir Putin that India believes in peaceful solutions to conflicts, referring to the Russia-Ukraine issue. "We have been in touch with all sides in the Russia-Ukraine problem. It has always been our position that all conflict can be solved with dialogue. We believe there should be peaceful solutions to conflicts. India is always ready to help bring peace," PM Modi had said.

India and Russia share a time-tested 'special and privileged strategic partnership', and PM Modi has said New Delhi will help in whatever way it can to help end the war and find a peaceful solution that would be acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine.

PM Modi had even sent National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, reportedly with a peace plan to Moscow where he had a meeting with Vladimir Putin.