Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the seaside resort of Sochi in his second informal summit. They will primarily focus on pressing global and regional issues, including the impact of the US’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
Modi is stepping up a new kind of personalised diplomacy, of engaging directly at the highest level in an informal atmosphere, free from protocol, official agendas and outcome documents, even if there are some agreements that may be reached. While officials had earlier said that no bilateral issues would be discussed between the two leaders, it appears that bilateral issues may well make an appearance on the agenda.
The sources said the possible impact of the US sanctions against Russia under Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on Indo-Russia defence cooperation may also figure during the talks between the two leaders.
The Modi-Putin summit is expected to raise several issues including Russia’s new-found relationship with Pakistan and its flirtations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. If defence dominated the India-Russia relations earlier, the new focus is energy.
The aim of the informal summit is to use the friendship and trust between the two countries to create convergence on key global and regional issues, a source reported.
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