PM Modi is continuing with his excellent diplomacy after assuming office for a second term. After the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi has visited countries like France, UAE and Bahrain so far and has also participated in the G7 summit. Now PM Modi is going on a two-day visit to Russia on 4th September. He will be the Chief Guest of the Eastern Economic Forum that is to be held in Vladivostak on 5th September.
During his visit, PM Modi will also hold bilateral talks with President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi and Putin are going to meet at a time when the world is going through a stressful phase. On one hand, China is refusing to budge in Hong Kong, on the other hand, tension between two American allies, i.e., Japan and South Korea is at its peak. Apart from this, India and Pakistan are also engaged over the Kashmir issue and the US and China are engaged in a trade war. In such a situation, everyone’s eyes are on the meeting between the two global leaders.
While PM Modi will work to further the bilateral relations of Russia and India on this visit, on the other hand, both countries can also play an important role in checking the growing Chinese domination in South Asia. PM Modi is expected to sign 25 pacts with Russia on this tour. Meanwhile, on September 4, PM Modi will also have a one-to-one dinner with President Putin. During the dinner, the two leaders will further strengthen their personal relationships and formulate strategies on taking steps to effectively coordinate key global issues such as Afghanistan, Pakistan. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the President of Russia, told the Russian media recently that “during such talks, the main international and regional problems, coordination in the international arena, etc. are discussed with great confidence and clarity”.
This means that during this discussion, PM Modi and Putin will discuss all major international issues and prepare a blueprint for the formulation of their future foreign policy. It will be very important to see what countries like India and Russia do on big global issues, whether it is the case of Hong Kong or the ongoing trade war between China and America.
Russia is still a very important ally of India. Relations between Russia and India have traditionally been strong, especially in the defense sector. However, since 2014, there has been a significant decline in the import of defense weapons from Russia. In the recent past, India has made major defense deals with countries like the US and Israel. Now Russia is looking forward to boosting economic ties with India and in this direction both countries aim to increase the bilateral trade to US $30 billion by 2025. Currently Russia and China have strong trade relations, however, Russia has a trade deficit with China. For example, in the year 2016, Russia’s export to China stood at US $28 billion, while in the same period Russia’s import from China was $38 billion.
On one hand, PM Modi will work to strengthen the economic ties between India and Russia, and on the other hand, the meeting of two big global leaders will also have a big impact on global politics and geopolitics. Calling PM Modi as a chief guest at this year’s ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ also shows that India’s economic potential is now being acknowledged worldwide.