New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday emplaned for Russia to begin the first leg of his two-nation visit. First, PM Modi will land in Russia where he will be holding back-to-back meetings with his "friend" Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Later on July 9, he will leave for Austria. Notably, this is the Prime Minister's first visit since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, a war that has complicated the relationship between the longtime allies. Under PM Modi's leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine while emphasising the need for a peaceful settlement.
Ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister hailed the relations between the two nations and dubbed it "special" and "privileged". According to the Prime Minister, the relations have advanced in the past 10 years. PM Modi emphasised that he is looking forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with "his friend" Putin. However, the statement from the Prime Minister did not specifically mention whether he would take up the issue of Indians forced to work in the Russian Army. However, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, during a special press briefing, mentioned that the issue of Indians in the war zone will be among the Prime Minister's top priorities.
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