The visit, which was announced on July 4 by the PM’s office, will be Modi’s first time arriving on Russian soil following the start of the Ukraine war.

The last time PM Modi visited Russia was in Vladivostok in September 2019, during a forum in the far eastern port city where he talked with Russian leader President Vladimir Putin. The last time the leaders of the two countries met was in Uzbekistan during the 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) bloc summit.

Modi, who will be in Moscow from July 8 to July 9, shared on X that India has a “time-tested friendship” with Russia and Austria, adding that the visits “will be a wonderful opportunity” to strengthen relations with the countries.

The leaders will review “all aspects of bilateral cooperation” and share their perspectives on “various regional and global issues”. Also on the agenda are the issues and affairs of the Indian community in Russia including a suspected trafficking network drafting unsuspecting Indian citizens for the Russian war effort in Ukraine under the auspices of work contracts.

Modi has said in a post on his X account: “I am looking forward to further deepening the special and privileged strategic partnership between our nations, especially in futuristic areas of cooperation”.

Landed in Moscow. Looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between our nations, especially in futuristic areas of cooperation. Stronger ties between our nations will greatly benefit our people. pic.twitter.com/oUE1aC00EN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2024

In a statement from his office before the visit, Modi added: “The special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia has advanced over the past ten years, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges”.

The visit is a part of the 22^nd Annual India-Russia Summit. Both countries view each other as strategic partners in what they perceive as an upcoming multipolar world order. Both Russia and India are members of BRICS, an alliance of major developing countries, and India has been an increasingly important economic partner for Russia in recent years.

Amidst Russia’s diplomatic isolation following the Federation’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has become a key market for Russian products.

Indian refineries have been processing Russian crude oil sold to India for lower-than-usual prices. India is now getting around 38% of its oil from the Russian Federation, according to experts.

However, an even closer ally of Russia, China, is India’s main regional rival. China enjoys significant lucrative trade deals with Russia, including ones for fossil fuels similar to the ones with India, for which Russia has become desperate for after Western sanctions on its oil and gas.

The Summit is meant to be a remedy to the distancing that occurred due to Russia’s increasing ties with China. Modi has chosen not to appear at the last SCO summit in Kazakhstan last week, which was funded and organised by Russia and China. Monday’s bilateral meeting is also meant to foster greater cooperation within BRICS, especially in light of border tensions and clashes in the Himalayas between Indian and Chinese soldiers.

After his stay in the Russian capital, Modi is set to visit Austria from July 9 to July 10 for diplomatic talks and business engagements. It will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years.