Kremlin says preparations are under way for Putin visit to India

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to India next year as part of the established framework for reciprocal annual engagements between the leaders of the two nations, the Kremlin has said.

President Putin has received an invitation to visit India from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said at a recent media briefing.

The dates for Putin's visit will be set in early 2025, he said.

"Our leaders have an agreement to hold meetings once a year. This time, it’s our turn," the diplomat noted.

"We received Mr Modi’s invitation and we will certainly consider it positively... We will figure out the tentative dates early next year," Ushakov said.

Putin and Modi maintain regular contact, holding telephone conversations once every couple of months. The two leaders also hold in-person meetings, particularly on the sidelines of international events.

In July, Prime Minister Modi made a two-day visit to Moscow to take part in the 22nd Russia-India summit. In October, he visited the Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS group’s summit.

In November, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a video interaction with senior Indian Editors in Delhi referred to the strong bilateral relationship between India and Russia, and said that Putin's visit is on the cards.

However, he did not give any specific timeline or make a definitive announcement of the visit.

"We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon," Peskov had said.