India
At grand reception for PM Modi at Moscow airport, Russia sends signal to China | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow on Monday for a two-day visit. He was received at the airport by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturovwho is higher in rank than the Vice Premier who received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Russia.
The protocol that Manturov welcomed him personally Prime Minister Modi and accompanying him to the hotel in the same car sends a strong signal about the importance Russia attaches to relations with India.
The reception, which was attended by the highest-ranking Russian official under President Putin himself, stands in stark contrast to the reception in China, where the lower-ranking Vice Premier received President Xi.
India has had close ties with Russia since the Cold War, and Russia was once India’s largest arms supplier. However, the conflict in Ukraine has strained Russian military resources, leading to a decline in Russian arms exports to India in recent years.
At the same time, India has become a major buyer of discounted Russian oil, bringing much-needed revenue to Moscow. This has reshaped the energy partnership, saving India billions while filling Russia’s war chest.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit, his first to Russia since 2019, comes as India tries to balance longstanding ties with Moscow with growing security cooperation with Western powers.
Russia’s high reception underscores India’s continued importance as a partner even as the global landscape changes.
The protocol that Manturov welcomed him personally Prime Minister Modi and accompanying him to the hotel in the same car sends a strong signal about the importance Russia attaches to relations with India.
The reception, which was attended by the highest-ranking Russian official under President Putin himself, stands in stark contrast to the reception in China, where the lower-ranking Vice Premier received President Xi.
India has had close ties with Russia since the Cold War, and Russia was once India’s largest arms supplier. However, the conflict in Ukraine has strained Russian military resources, leading to a decline in Russian arms exports to India in recent years.
At the same time, India has become a major buyer of discounted Russian oil, bringing much-needed revenue to Moscow. This has reshaped the energy partnership, saving India billions while filling Russia’s war chest.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit, his first to Russia since 2019, comes as India tries to balance longstanding ties with Moscow with growing security cooperation with Western powers.
Russia’s high reception underscores India’s continued importance as a partner even as the global landscape changes.
