After China, PM Modi to head to Russia for informal summit with Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia next week for an informal summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The upcoming visit has been announced in an official release that states the following:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to the Russian Federation

At the invitation of Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Russia on 21 May 2018 for an informal Summit with President Putin in the city of Sochi.

2. This will be an important occasion for the two leaders to exchange views on international matters in a broad and long-term perspective with the objective of further strengthening our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.  Both leaders will also discuss their respective national developmental priorities and bilateral matters.

3. This informal Summit in Sochi between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin is in keeping with the tradition of regular consultations between India and Russia at the highest levels. 

New Delhi
14 May 2018

The visit to Russia will take place less than a month after the Prime Minister visited China for a historic informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Prime Minister over his visit to China at a news briefing towards the end of his campaign for the Karnataka elections, alleging that the visit was devoid of an agenda and that the stand-off at Doklam hadn't been raised. 

While expounding on his opinion that India's foreign policy had been decimated under the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi had also alleged that he had seen a big change in Russia's foreign policy regarding  India and Pakistan, saying that Russia was supplying arms to India's neighbour for the first time ever.