NEW DELHI: Russia laid out the red carpet for PM Narendra Modi as he landed in Moscow on Monday to attend the 22nd India-Russia annual summit, the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Before the talks on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin held a private dinner for Modi during which the two discussed bilateral cooperation that has deepened in the recent past on the back of India's increased oil imports from Russia.

According to govt sources, the visit will focus on economic issues, including energy, trade, manufacturing and fertilisers. The visit will also be used by the PM to convey to Putin, as an official source put it, that "no solution can be found on the battlefield" to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ahead of leaving for Moscow for his first bilateral visit in his third term, Modi said he's looking forward to sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues.

In a post on X, Modi also said stronger ties between our nations will greatly benefit people of both countries. "The Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia has advanced over the past 10 years, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges," said Modi, adding he's looking forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with his "friend" Putin.

PM Modi, who is visiting Russia for the first time in five years, was received by the first deputy PM of Russia, Denis Manturov. Indian officials said Manturov is senior to the deputy PM who received the Chinese President during his visit to Russia. Manturov also accompanied Modi to the hotel from the airport in the same car.

Ahead of leaving for Moscow, PM Modi said he's looking forward to sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues; and that India seeks to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region. Like China, India never explicitly condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine. While backing dialogue and diplomacy for enduring peace, India has also maintained that any such process must involve both parties.

The last annual summit took place in 2021 when Putin visited India. The two did meet though on the margins of the SCO summit in Samarkand in 2022, where Modi famously told Putin this isn't the era of war. He's expected to convey a similar message on this occasion too, in line with India's emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only realistic way of resolving the conflict. Modi will co-chair the summit on Tuesday with Putin and also interact with the members of the Indian community in Moscow.