Ambassador allowed Modi-Putin meeting in 2023

Narendra Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet next year, Indian Ambassador to Moscow Pawan Kapoor told RIA Novosti.

“Our leaders are in constant contact <...>. And communication will continue,” the diplomat said. Answering the question whether the summit is planned for next year, the ambassador replied: "Yes, we expect it."

According to Kapoor, the format of the meeting - a formal summit or negotiations - does not matter. “India chairs the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization], the G20 [G20], so the meeting will definitely take place,” the ambassador explained.

On December 16, Putin spoke with the Indian prime minister by phone. They discussed cooperation in such areas as mutual investment, energy, agriculture, transport and logistics, and also noted the importance of continuing coordination within international organizations, including the G20 and the SCO.

Prime Minister of India wrote about the possibility of solving all problems on Earth without wars Politics

On Dec. 9, Bloomberg, citing a knowledgeable senior official, reported that Modi had refused to meet with Putin. According to the agency, it has become “unprofitable for India to trumpet friendship” with Moscow because of the words of the Russian president about the possibility of using nuclear weapons.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Modi did not refuse the meeting, since no meetings were planned before the end of the year. The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that there was a misunderstanding.

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Meetings between the Russian president and the Indian prime minister have been held annually since 2000 in accordance with the declaration of strategic partnership. The only exception was 2020, when the summit was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19 .

Modi and Putin last met at the SCO summit in September. The Indian prime minister then told Putin that now is "not the era of war." “Today we have the opportunity to talk about how we can move forward on the path to peace,” Modi added. The President of Russia, in response, assured that he was aware of India's position on the conflict in Ukraine and its concerns, Russia would do everything to stop it as soon as possible, but Kiev refused dialogue.