Putin Arrives in India for Two-Day State Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in India for a two-day official visit.

The aircraft of the Rossiya Special Flight Detachment, which is responsible for transporting the Russian leader, landed at the Palam Air Force Base, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

The airfield, one of the oldest in the country, is now partially integrated into Indira Gandhi International Airport, which handles regular commercial flights.

The road leading to the airbase has been decorated with welcome posters reading "Welcome to India" and portraits of the Russian president. Flagpoles bearing the Russian and Indian flags have also been installed throughout New Delhi.

Putin’s trip is a state visit - the highest diplomatic and ceremonial honor. Over two days, the Russian leader will meet with Indian officials, lay a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, and take part in the Russian-Indian Business Forum. An official breakfast and a state reception will also be held in his honor as a tribute.

Immediately after his arrival, the Russian president is scheduled to hold an informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov previously noted that this will be the key and most substantive event of the visit.

The tradition of rotating Russian-Indian visits at the highest level began in 2000, when Vladimir Putin and then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed a declaration on strategic partnership. Moscow and New Delhi have followed this tradition faithfully, but the pace of visits was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader geopolitical situation. Putin last visited India in 2021. With Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow a year ago, regular high-level exchanges between the two countries’ leaders have now resumed.