Putin arriving for a summit meeting with Modi, stage set for first 2+2

India will be holding its first 2+2 dialogue with Russia. The Defence Minister and the External Affairs Minister of the two countries will be having a 2+2 dialogue.

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to New Delhi on December 6 for the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters on Friday that the last India-Russia Annual summit was held in September 2019 during the visit of Mr Modi to Vladivostok in Russia. 

"The annual summit could not take place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. This will be the first face to face meeting between the two leaders after their meeting on the side-lines of the BRICS summit in Brasilia in November 2019," he said. 

MEA spokesman also said that there had been six telephonic conversations between Mr Modi and Mr Putin since then, apart from the virtual meetings they have attended for multilateral summits.

Mr Bagchi also announced the inaugural 2 plus 2 dialogue of India's Foreign and Defence ministers and the Russian Federation. "The first meeting of the two plus two dialogue between India and the Russian Federation at the level of Foreign and Defence ministers will be held in New Delhi on December 6 this year," he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will represent the Indian side in the dialogue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Both Russian Ministers will be arriving in Delhi on December 5, he said. India has a "2+2" dialogue arrangement with the US, Japan, and Australia, members of the Quad.

"The two plus two India-Russia dialogue is being held pursuant to the agreement reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin during their telephonic conversation on April 28 this year," the spokesman said. 

The agenda for the dialogue will cover political and defence issues of mutual interest. He said that establishing this new mechanism of 2 plus 2 dialogue is expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Both the leaders will review the state and prospects of bilateral relations and discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. 

"The summit will afford an opportunity to exchange views on regional, multilateral and international issues of mutual interest. The visit is in continuation of the tradition of annual summits alternately in India and Russia. And we are confident that the visit will further provide an impetus to the India Russia special and privileged strategic partnership," he said.

India and Russia are likely to sign a logistics support agreement during the two-plus-two talks or during the summit. The pact will allow the two countries' militaries to use each other's bases to repair and replenish supplies.