Moscow, July 3: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. "Esteemed Mrs President, Esteemed Mr Prime Minister, kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injured," Putin said in his condolence message.
PM Modi is expected to visit Moscow next week to hold bilateral talks with the Russian President. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the preparations for Prime Minister Modi's visit to Russia are in the "final stages", and the dates will be announced soon.
"We will announce this visit officially a little later, by agreement with our Indian friends. I can only confirm to you once again that the visit is in the final stage of preparation," Peskov was quoted as saying by local media during a media briefing. Russian President Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary also stated that PM Modi's visit, widely expected to be around July 8, is a "very important" event.
In New York, as Russia took over the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council on Monday, the country's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia highlighted the special privileged strategic partnership between the two countries and asserted that "serious messages" will come out of PM Modi's visit to Moscow.
"India is a long time friend of Russia. We cooperate in so many areas, and I think there will be substantive conversations on the whole range of issues that our countries cooperate on," he told reporters. "I'm not aware of what kind of documents will be the result of that visit, but I'm sure that there will be serious messages coming out of it, and, I presume, in the form of joint documents as well. I expect Russian-Indian relations to blossom even better," added the Russian diplomat.
Prime Minister Modi last visited Russia for the 20th India-Russia Bilateral Summit held on the sidelines of the 5th Eastern Economic Summit where he was the guest of honour - at Vladivostok in September 2019. The visit acted as a game changer as far as India's focus on the Russian Far East was concerned and paved the way for New Delhi's larger cooperation with Moscow in the fields of oil and gas, road transport, defence, trade and investment sectors.
PM Modi, who is not attending the SCO Heads of State meeting being held in Astana, last paid an official visit to Moscow in 2015.
