Russia President Putin in India for 21st Annual Summit
India and Russia are set to ink a raft of pacts to further boost cooperation in key areas of defence, trade and investment, energy and technology at the summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 6. In the summit as well as in the inaugural `2+2` defence and foreign ministerial talks, the two sides are also expected to focus on the situation in Afghanistan and the rising threat of terrorism including from groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The joint statement will be issued on 6th December after our production time. But we have learned it is likely to reflect India`s concerns over cross-border terrorism and the security implications arising out of the Afghan crisis. While Putin arrived in Delhi on December 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu reached on December 5 night. Ahead of the summit, India has cleared the long-pending AK 203 Kalashnikov rifles` deal worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for production of over five hundred thousand such rifles at Korwa in Amethi by an Indo-Russian joint venture. The two sides will wrap up the final phase of negotiations for a logistics support agreement, which is likely to be signed either during the two-plus-two talks or at the summit. In reflection of their time-tested defence ties, India and Russia will also renew for the next decade a framework for military-technical cooperation at the summit besides announcing a joint commission on technology and science. The two sides will also firm up a number of defence procurement proposals besides deliberating on the long-pending project for joint production of 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T light helicopters for Indian armed forces. India will apprise the Russian side about its position on the eastern Ladakh border row as well as its concerns over various regional developments. President Putin`s decision to visit India notwithstanding the current Covid-19 situation in Russia reflects the importance he attaches to the relationship with India. The last India-Russia Annual Summit was held in September 2019 during the visit of Modi to Vladivostok. The annual summit could not take place last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both the countries have a mechanism under which India`s prime minister and the Russian president hold a summit meeting annually to review the entire gamut of ties. So far, 20 annual summit meetings have taken place alternatively in India and Russia.