Tianjin (China), 1 September (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a crucial bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today after addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) plenary session in Tianjin. The meeting comes against the backdrop of heightened global tensions and sustained US pressure on India to scale back Russian crude imports.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed Modi’s schedule, noting that the Prime Minister would first present India’s vision for regional cooperation at the SCO before sitting down with Putin. “After this engagement, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, following which he will depart for India,” Misri said at a briefing.

This marks Modi and Putin’s first face-to-face interaction since former US President Donald Trump’s return to office. Their last in-person exchange took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.

Energy and Trade Balance

India has been seeking to expand its exports to Russia in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles, aiming to address the trade imbalance that currently favors Moscow. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s Moscow visit on August 22 focused on deepening energy ties, joint extraction projects in the Far East and Arctic, and tackling trade barriers that restrict Indian goods.

Despite Trump’s 25% tariff on Indian products linked to Russian oil imports, which took effect on August 27, New Delhi has stepped up engagements with Moscow. PM Modi and President Putin have spoken twice since the order was signed, while NSA Ajit Doval also visited Russia earlier in August.

Regional Diplomacy

The Modi-Putin dialogue follows Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the SCO sidelines. Both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation and Xi accepted Modi’s invitation to the 2026 BRICS Summit in India.

Putin’s delegation in Tianjin includes senior officials such as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, signaling Moscow’s commitment to advancing strategic cooperation.

The Modi-Putin talks are expected to cover energy security, trade diversification, and the regional security situation—issues that could shape India’s strategic positioning amid competing pressures from Washington, Moscow, and Beijing.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar