PM Modi Breaks Protocol to Personally Welcome President Putin for 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives Russian President Vladimir Putin at Delhi airport

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Russian President Vladimir Putin at Delhi airport this evening. Before both headed out in the same car, the two leaders shook hands, hugged each other and exchanged greetings.

Russia's state-owned news agency Sputnik reported that in the airport visit to greet the Russian President and his friend, PM Modi broke protocol and brought a personal touch, which surprised the Russians.

The Russian side was not informed about PM Modi's gesture to personally welcome Putin on Indian soil, the report indicated.

The BJP in a post on X also mentioned that in a notable departure from usual practice, PM Modi personally welcomed Putin upon his arrival at Delhi airport.

In a notable departure from usual practice, Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi personally welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival at the Delhi airport. President Putin is undertaking a two-day State visit to India, during which he will participate in the 23rd...

Putin will be in India for two days, during which he will participate in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit alongside PM Modi tomorrow.

PM Modi and Putin will share a private dinner later tonight. While official details have not been disclosed, the dinner is being hosted by PM Modi at his official residence.

The two leaders departed from the airport in the same Toyota Fortuner that PM Modi regularly uses.

In September, Putin had extended an invitation to PM Modi to ride in his official car during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China.

That shared car ride at the SCO served as a visual statement during a time when US President Donald Trump announced tariff measures against New Delhi's oil trade with Moscow.

Putin will hold formal talks with PM Modi tomorrow. Senior officials at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have stated that the central focus of the discussions will be expanding trade and economic cooperation, an area that has witnessed substantial growth in recent years.

India and Russia are working to address the existing trade deficit, with New Delhi advocating for increased exports of marine products, potatoes, pomegranates, processed foods, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.

Simultaneously, India continues to maintain significant reliance on Russian fertilizers, importing between three to five million tonnes annually, and aims to strengthen this cooperation further.