New Delhi: After the “Namaste Trump” show with India laying out the red carpet for the US President Donald Trump in his 36-hour whirlwind trip, the host has now shifted its focus towards the other major partner Russia through a series of high-level engagements marking 20th edition of annual summit and 10 years of special strategic partnership.

The beginning of the strengthening of Indo-Russian ties would begin with India hosting Andrei Klimov, Member of the Federation Council, Federal Assembly, Russia and Deputy Chair of Federal Council Committee on Foreign Affairs in the coming week.

New Delhi may also host Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov in March. Manturov who was earlier scheduled to lead Russian delegation at Lucknow DefExpo 2020 had to postpone his trip due to role assigned to him in countering coronavirus.

Russian Deputy PM Yury Borisov is also expected to visit India in March to hold a joint commission meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Moscow for victory day celebrations. Dr Jaishankar is likely to travel to Vladivostok in March end for Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting.

In April, Dr Jaishankar may travel to Moscow in the run up to the Prime Minister’s May trip. The high level engagement began with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to New Delhi in January. Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet five times this year beginning in May. Modi will visit St Petersburg in July for BRICS-SCO Summits. President Putin is likely to visit India later this year for the annual summit.

Meanwhile, a Russian delegation headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of the Russian Federation Georgy Muradov is on a working visit to India.

Meetings with representatives of Indian business and public circles, students and Russian language teachers were held in a constructive atmosphere. Potential opportunities for the development of economic, trade and investment cooperation with the Peninsula were presented. The delegation is also visiting Mumbai.