Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Russia on Monday for a two-day visit, where he is scheduled to participate in the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit and also interact with the Indian diaspora. The excited members of the Indian community gathered in Moscow in anticipation of PM Modi's visit and showed their love for him by singing songs.
"India-Russia relation is famous, it is deep-rooted and history-proven. We are grateful to PM Modi for his support to Russia. We need a Hindu Temple. We need more frequency for air travel," said Rakesh Kumar Srivastava, an Indian living in Russia.
Russian women dressed in Punjabi attire also performed Bhangra in front of Red Square in Moscow to welcome PM Modi upon his arrival later in the day. "It's a very big event that he is coming here. We have been preparing. Mai Modi Se Milkar Khush Hai (I will be happy to meet Modi)," one of the dancers from Russia told news PTI.
Some Russian women also prepared a 'dandia' dance performance to welcome the India Prime Minister.
Students from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow were also upbeat about PM Modi's visit. "It is a big day for us. We hope that the relationship between India and Russia will be much stronger. There is a history of our relationship," said a student.
Students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Moscow expressed their enthusiasm over the Indian PM's visit by chanting, "We love Modi Ji", and singing patriotic songs.
Meanwhile, security has been also beefed up near the hotel in Moscow where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be staying.
During his visit, PM Modi will be served a special Gujarati meal prepared by restaurateur Swarup Duta, who has been living in Russia for the past three decades.
On preparing Indian food for PM Narendra Modi, Duta told news agency ANI, "I have been living in Moscow for the last 30 years and I run a chain of restaurants here. Everyone is excited and waiting for him... We have introduced many Gujarati dishes to our menu. Even the menu which has been specially curated for the Prime Minister, we have introduced many new dishes from Gujarat... We made some special dishes for the delegation coming with the Prime Minister... Russians like Indian food. They were adamant to try it first, but when they did, there was no going back."
PM Modi In Russia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia and his talks with President Vladimir Putin will focus on bilateral trade and economic ties and in some new areas of scientific and technological research, the Indian Ambassador to Russia has said, expressing confidence that the talks will yield tangible outcomes in many areas.
Prime Minister Modi will be in Moscow from July 8 to 9 at the invitation of President Putin for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. It will be Modi's first visit to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The two leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Speaking to PTI, Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar said that extensive dialogue on trade, economic and investment cooperation and connectivity will be a key focus of discussions during Modi's visit. "This is a part of annual summits that the two countries have and hence the agenda would be an entire range of issues in our bilateral relationship, Kumar said.
Asked about likely decisions in the areas of energy and defence, Kumar said, "We have a set of documents that we are working on. Some of those agreements relate to trade and economic ties and also in some new areas of connectivity, and scientific and technological research. So I expect that we would have tangible outcomes in many of these areas."
This will be Modi's first visit to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.