PUTIN VISIT

uation in the Asia-pacific region and developments in Afghanistan and Syria, as well as exchange views on interaction within the SCO and Russia, India and China (RIC), the Russian embassy has said. Several agreements to deepen cooperation in defence, trade, space, technology, energy and culture are expected to be inked during the summit, people familiar with the matter said.

The two sides are expected to renew their military-technical cooperation arrangement for 2021-31. A key pact that could be signed is the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), which will allow militaries of the two nations to access logistics and support facilities at each other’s bases.

The joint statement to be issued after the summit is expected to reflect India’s concerns over cross-border terror and the fallout of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the people said.

Modi and Putin had decided in August to have close consultations on Afghanistan and the two sides are coordinating on common concerns, the people added.

Days before the summit, the government approved the plan to manufacture AK-203 rifles at a factory at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh under a joint venture called Indo-russian Rifles Private Limited that was formed by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited and Russia’s Rosoboronexport and Kalashnikov.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday took up the Rs 5,100-crore project. The AK-203 rifles will replace INSAS rifles inducted more than three decades ago. “The approval reflects the paradigm shift in defence acquisition from buy (global) to Make in India. The endeavour also reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries,” said an official.

This will be the first in-person meeting between Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brasilia in November 2019. During the summit, the leaders will review the state and prospects of bilateral relations between the two nations.