“Factually Incorrect”: Foreign Secretary Dismisses Reports of Differences with Russia During PM Modi’s Moscow Visit

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th July. India has refuted reports claiming differences with Russia over Ukraine issues that allegedly led to the cancellation of a larger delegation-level meeting during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Moscow.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra addressed the media in Delhi, categorically dismissing the reports as “factually incorrect.” He clarified, “To the best of my knowledge, there are no cancellations of any particular programming element during the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow.”

Responding to questions about alleged friction in Moscow, Kwatra emphasized, “I find it surprising but there are no facts to support this factually incorrect and quite misleading report. The Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow was extremely successful.”

Kwatra highlighted that the discussions between Prime Minister Modi and President Vladimir Putin went beyond the allocated time, indicating the productive nature of the meeting. “The discussions far exceeded the time that was allocated by the two sides. And there was no cancellation of any kind of programme,” he added.

Earlier, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency had quoted Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who explained that the decision not to hold a larger breakout session after the Modi-Putin meeting was due to the extensive coverage of topics during their three-hour discussion. Peskov clarified, “It was not because of any problems but rather because the conversation between Putin and Modi was attended by officials responsible for almost all major spheres of bilateral cooperation.”

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Russia was marked by discussions covering a wide range of issues, reflecting the strong and multifaceted relationship between India and Russia.