Modi, Putin to hold informal summit in Russia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on May 21 for an informal summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, the government said on Monday.

Modi will be travelling to Russia at Putin's invitation.

This comes after the informal summit between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China last month.

An External Affairs Ministry release on Monday said Modi's visit to Russia will be an important occasion for him and Putin to exchange views on international matters in a broad and long-term perspective in order to further strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership.

"Both leaders will discuss their respective national developmental priorities and bilateral matters," the release said.

It said that the informal summit was in keeping with the tradition of regular consultations between India and Russia at the highest level.

The Sochi meeting comes in the wake of Washington pulling out of the nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US).

Putin is also expected to visit India later this year for the annual bilateral summit.

Russia and Japan are the only two countries with which India holds annual bilateral summits.

Putin won a fourth term in office in March this year.

--IANS

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