Moscow: In his first trip since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday began a two-day high-profile visit to Russia to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin with a focus on boosting bilateral ties in areas of energy, trade and defence.

Modi was received at the airport by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. The Russian first deputy minister also accompanied the Indian prime minister to his hotel from the airport in the same car, officials said. Manturov had received Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Russia as well. It is Modi’s first trip to Russia since 2019, the first after the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.