During PM Modi’s three-day visit to Moscow and Vienna, the main focus will be the Ukraine war, green fuel, and clean energy. In New Delhi, it was announced that PM Modi will have private dinners with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 8 and with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer the next day to discuss India’s energy security and secure clean technologies from Moscow and Vienna.
The last private dinner PM Modi had with President Putin in the Kremlin in 2015 lasted until early the next morning. This time, PM Modi will be hosted at President Putin’s private residence. During this visit, PM Modi will be awarded the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First, the highest state decoration by the Russian Federation. The visit to Moscow is significant as India aims to strengthen its energy ties with Russia, especially since Europe is buying energy supplies from West Asia at higher prices due to the Ukraine war. India is also exploring different routes, including the Arctic, to transport energy from Russia and plans to invest more in Russia’s energy sector.
The main discussion between PM Modi and President Putin will be the Ukraine war, which continues to destabilize global markets and security. PM Modi, having recently discussed the Ukraine war with G-7 leaders at the Italy summit, will urge President Putin to end the conflict and return to negotiations. PM Modi and President Putin share a strong personal relationship and mutual respect. PM Modi will also ask President Putin to stop recruiting Indians to fight in the war against Ukraine and will seek to deepen cooperation with Russia in space and nuclear energy. India aims to activate Kudankulam Reactors III and IV with Russia’s help in the next two years and start work on Reactors V and VI for the 6000 MW plant.
India is also seeking Russian assistance in its Gaganyaan space mission to send Indian astronauts into space and back, establish a space station, and land on the moon.
After visiting the Rosatom exhibition showcasing Russian nuclear technology in Moscow with President Putin, PM Modi will fly to Vienna for a private meeting with the Austrian Chancellor on the evening of July 9. PM Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Vienna since 1983. Austria has historical connections with India, with Indologist Joseph Tieffenhaler’s 1740 travelogue quoted in the Supreme Court judgment in the Ayodhya Ramjanambhoomi case.
The Ukraine war will be the main topic of discussion between PM Modi and the Austrian Chancellor, as both countries can help end the conflict, which has serious economic effects on the Global South. Austrian companies are involved in Indian infrastructure projects, such as tunneling through mountains in the north, and Vienna is a leader in clean and green technologies like converting used cooking oil into green fuel. While the Russian visit focuses on energy and the Ukraine war, the trip to Vienna is about high technology and the role of centrist powers in resolving disputes.
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