Putin Says He Is Set to Meet PM Modi at Next Week SCO Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he expects to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, adding to indications of continued high-level engagement between India and Russia. Putin made the remarks during a meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Moscow. He asked Jaishankar to convey his greetings to Modi and said he expected to see the Indian prime minister at the SCO gathering. Jaishankar was in Moscow as part of Indias ongoing diplomatic engagement with Russia. During his meeting with Putin, the external affairs minister conveyed a personal message from Prime Minister Modi and discussed the broader state of bilateral relations.

The expected Modi-Putin meeting comes as India and Russia continue to focus on strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, fertilisers, defence and other strategic areas. Economic ties have become an increasingly important part of the relationship, with both sides looking at ways to expand trade and cooperation beyond traditional sectors. Putin said Russia-India trade was showing signs of growth after declining last year. He also highlighted Indias importance as a major economic partner and said Moscow was ready to increase supplies of fertilisers to the country.

Fertiliser supplies are particularly significant for India because they directly affect the countrys agricultural sector. Russia has emerged as an important supplier, making the issue relevant not only to bilateral trade but also to Indias wider food-security requirements. The two countries are also working to address the imbalance in their trade relationship. While bilateral commerce has grown substantially in recent years, Indias imports from Russia, particularly energy products, have increased much faster than Indian exports to the Russian market.

Against this backdrop, a meeting between Modi and Putin could provide an opportunity to review ongoing economic discussions and consider ways to make bilateral trade more balanced. The SCO Summit will also bring together leaders from several major countries, giving India an opportunity to discuss regional and international issues with Russia and other members of the grouping.

The timing of the expected meeting is significant because Modi and Putin are likely to have another opportunity for direct talks at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi later in September. India has also indicated that the two sides intend to continue their regular leadership-level consultations. The repeated engagement reflects the importance both New Delhi and Moscow continue to attach to their strategic partnership despite the changing global geopolitical environment.

Russia remains an important partner in areas ranging from energy and defence to nuclear cooperation and fertilisers. For Moscow, closer economic and diplomatic engagement with New Delhi remains significant as Russia seeks to strengthen ties with major non-Western economies. The expected meeting at the SCO Summit could therefore serve as an important opportunity for Modi and Putin to take stock of the relationship and discuss its next phase, particularly at a time when trade, energy security and shifting geopolitical alignments remain key issues for both countries.

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