Russia and India plan to sign a programme for the development of strategic cooperation areas in the economy by 2030, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, a day ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s state visit to India.
Russian state media TASS quoted Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov telling reporters that the upcoming December 4-5 visit of Putin is “important” as it “provides the opportunity to comprehensively discuss the entire extensive agenda of Russian-Indian ties.”
Major pacts to be signed
“It is meant to sign and adopt the whole range of bilateral documents in the various spheres in conclusion of the visit, including the Development Programme of strategic areas of Russian-Indian economic cooperation by 2030,” Ushakov said as per the TASS media outlet.
Both Moscow and New Delhi are paying high attention to the visit, the presidential aide said, adding that Putin’s visit “planned for a long time” will boost ties between the two countries that are already “on the rise.”
Further, the Kremlin aide was cited by TASS as saying that bilateral trade turnover “gained 12% and reached $63.6 billion.”
“We have a lot of large-scale promising projects in the most different areas – these are production cooperation, innovative technologies, transport, peaceful space, fields development, healthcare, labour migration programmes and many others,” Ushakov noted, as per the Russian state media.
Russians made over 880,000 trips to India as part of tourist exchanges, and Indians visited Russia 40,000 times in 2024, the presidential aide was quoted as saying.
Putin is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is his first visit to India in four years.
Both sides to discuss key regional issues
According to a statement by the MEA, Putin’s state visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
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.”
