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Calling India-Russia ties "strong and deep," Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said President Vladimir Putin's visit to India is expected to bolster bilateral relations further.
CM Abdullah added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rapport with Putin could also serve as an opportunity to help Ukraine improve its ties with Russia and foster peace. "We have a strong and deep relationship with Russia. Russia has always stood by us in difficult times. The Russian President's visit to India will further strengthen our relations. Our Prime Minister has good relations with President Putin. It would be great if this meeting could also benefit Ukraine to better its relations with Russia and maintain peace," he emphasised. Russian President Vladimir Putin has departed from Russia for his two-day State visit to India, as reported by TASS. According to the Russian media outlet, the Russian delegation will hold comprehensive discussions on cooperation in trade and economics, science and technology, and culture and humanitarian affairs. Current international and regional issues will also be on the agenda. Ten intergovernmental documents and more than 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities of the two countries are being prepared for signing during the visit of the Russian President, TASS reported. Putin is set to arrive in New Delhi this evening for a State Visit to attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is his first visit here since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022. The last time he visited the country was in December 2021. PM Modi is set to host a private dinner for the Russian President Putin after he arrives in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India and Russia must work together to diversify and balance their trade basket, underscoring the vast untapped potential of the bilateral economic partnership. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov expressed confidence that Russia and India can reach their shared goal of achieving USD100 billion in trade turnover by 2030, citing rapid growth in recent years and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. In an interview with Russian Media outlet Izvestia, Siluanov pointed to the opening of VTB Bank's new flagship office as a concrete step toward strengthening the financial infrastructure needed to support rising trade volumes. "Today's event, the opening of the VTB bank flagship office, is just one step towards achieving this goal. The more opportunities there are for settlements, the simpler trade and economic relations will be carried out. Therefore, today's event is just another step, I repeat, towards achieving this goal," he said. (ANI)
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