Modi to meet Putin on sidelines of Brics summit

Will convey India's interest to join Russia-China gas pipeline project

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to discuss ways to deepen economic and energy ties when they meet at Fortaleza in Brazil early next week. 

Sources told Deccan Herald that the prime minister might convey to the Russian president New Delhi’s interest in studying the feasibility of India joining the proposed Russia-China gas pipeline project. Modi and Putin will also review the bilateral defence ties and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation. 

Both Modi and Putin will be in Fortaleza next week to attend the sixth summit of the Brics – a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – and will have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. 

Though Putin called Modi soon after he led the BJP to a landslide victory in the parliamentary polls, this will be their first meeting.

Russia’s Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation on May 21 last signed a $400-billion deal for supply of 38 billion cubic metres of Russian gas to China annually for a period of 30 years through a pipeline to be built by the two countries.

New Delhi is understood to be keen on joining the project so that the proposed pipeline could be extended to India.  A formal announcement on India’s decision to join the project may be made when Putin will visit New Delhi for the annual summit with Modi in December.

 The prime minister who last month sailed on INS Vikramaditya – the aircraft carrier India recently acquired from Russia – is expected to reaffirm New Delhi’s continued commitment to long-standing defence cooperation between the two countries. The two leaders will in fact meet on a day when ships destroyer INS Ranvijay, stealth multi-role frigate INS Shivalik and supply vessel INS Shakti will reach the Sea of Japan off the coast of Vladivostok to take part in a joint exercise with Russian Navy warships.

Modi, however, is likely to subtly convey to Putin India’s concerns over Russia’s decision to end its embargo on supplying weapons to Pakistan. New Delhi is particularly concerned over Moscow’s negotiations with Islamabad for supply of MI-35 HIND attack helicopters.

Russia has been the largest supplier of military hardware to India and has been maintaining its defence cooperation with Pakistan at a low level.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also raised the issue with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin when the two leaders met in New Delhi last month.

Modi and Putin are likely to review progress made in the field of joint design, development and production of high-technology military equipment and implementation of projects such as the construction of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft, multi-role transport aircraft and BrahMos supersonic missile.