West Watching Modi's Russia Summit With 'Jealousy', Says Kremlin Ahead Of PM's Visit

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow will be extensive and the two leaders can have informal talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of Russia Vladimir Putin during a meeting on the sidelines of SCO Summit, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 2022. (Image Source: PTI File Photo)

Source : PTI

The West was watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Russia with "jealousy", said the Kremlin ahead of the PM's visit to Moscow for summit-level talks with President Vladimir Putin. Modi will be in Moscow from July 8 to 9 at the invitation of Putin for the second India-Russia Annual Summit. 

This will be Modi's first visit to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow will be extensive and the two leaders can have informal talks, reported PTI. 

“Obviously, the agenda will be extensive, if not to say overbusy. It will be an official visit, and we hope that the heads will be able to talk in an informal way as well,” Peskov said in an interview with Russia's state-run VGTRK television channel. 

Russian-Indian relations are at the level of strategic partnership, Peskov said, adding that there would be both one-on-one talks in the Kremlin and those involving delegations. 

“We are expecting a very important and full-fledged visit, which is so crucial for Russian-Indian relations,” he was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.

He also underscored that the West is closely and "jealously" watching Modi's upcoming visit to Russia. 

“They are jealous — that means they are closely monitoring it. Their close monitoring means they attach great importance to it. And they are not mistaken, there is something to attach great importance to," said the Kremlin spokesperson in response to a question about the jealous attitude of Western politicians towards PM Modi's Russia visit.

PM Modi has held several telephonic conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 pressing the importance of ending the war that has impacted the global economy.