Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin to visit India ahead of Narendra Modi-Vladimir Putin Summit

NEW DELHI: Ahead of a Summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in early December, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will come here to hold inter-governmental meet on November 5 on strategic issues, including energy and trade.

The Indo-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, which is co-chaired by the External Affairs Minister and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister takes stock of the status in various areas of cooperation.

This time, the Commission meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rogozin will be a "precursor" to the Summit meeting later this year between Modi and Putin, Spokesperson in the MEA said here.

The two sides are also expected to talk about the investment "issues" between them in the backdrop of fiasco of Sistema investments here in telecom. Russia is also expected to raise the issue of location for seventh nuclear power plant after the Kudankulam plants.

Rogozin will also call on Modi during his visit. This is the second visit by the Deputy Prime Minister from the West sanction-hit Russia. He had earlier visited India in June. Sanctions have been imposed by the US, European Union, Canada and Australia in reaction to Putin's annexation of Crimea.