The annual India-Russia summit will focus on cooperation in various sectors.

The 22nd annual India-Russia summit will focus on defence, trade ties, investment ties, energy cooperation, education, science and technology, culture and people-to-people relations as key points of discussion, External Affairs Minister Vinay Mohan Kwatra said at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday.

In connection with the upcoming official visit of the Prime Minister to Russia and Austria, which will take place from the 8th to the 10th of this month,

Mr. Kwatra said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will review the entire scope of the multi-faceted relations between the two countries. He said they will exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest. He said the leaders will also review the status of bilateral engagements under the BRICS, SCO, G20, East Asia Summit and the United Nations. Mr. Kwatra said the issue of early release of Indian nationals who were misled and sent to serve in the Russian army is also expected to come up for discussion.

The Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister would interact with members of the Indian community in Moscow during his visit. He said India and Russia have a special and privileged partnership that has remained resilient

in the face of numerous geopolitical challenges.

On bilateral trade, Mr. Kwatra said there was a rapid growth in the fiscal year 2023-24, reaching US$65 billion, mainly due to energy cooperation. He said India’s imports from Russia were approaching US$60 billion, while exports remained at US$4 billion. He highlighted that energy, banking, railways and steel were growing areas of partnership. He said Russia also remained an important partner for energy security and defence of the country.

Talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Austria, the Foreign Secretary said that the Prime Minister will travel to Austria on 9th and 10th of this month. He said that this will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Austria. He said that Mr. Modi will call on Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. On bilateral relations, Mr. Kwatra said that Austria offers excellent opportunities for bilateral cooperation in areas like infrastructure, renewable energy and high technology. He said that bilateral relations between the two countries have witnessed good growth over the past few years.