Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi last night on a two-day visit to India to attend the 15th India-Russia annual summit.

President Putin will hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both in the restricted and delegation format, today. The summit is a significant milestone in bilateral relations and is expected to lead to about 15 to 20 facilitating agreements in the fields of defence, nuclear energy, science and technology, space, customs among others. The Russian President is expected to discuss construction of new nuclear plants besides military and technical cooperation. The two leaders will jointly interact with Chief Executive Officers of major companies from both the countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a tweet message, Mr Modi said, that he is looking forward to a productive visit that will take India-Russia ties to newer heights.

Prime Minister said, the bond between the people of Russia and India is very strong. He said, the nations have stood by each other through thick and thin and times have changed. Prime Minister said, India want to take this relation to the next level and this visit is a step in that direction.

Mr. Putin will call on the President Pranab Mukherjee, who will host a Banquet in his honour. Our correspondent reports, the India-Russia Annual Summit process was initiated under President Putin’s leadership during his visit to India in October, 2000. It has proved a highly effective mechanism for both countries to take high-level stock of India-Russia relations and to impart direction and impetus to them. The two countries enjoy a special and strategic partnership.