India's Modi to meet Putin in Moscow as both sides seek to forge deeper ties

• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, marking his first visit to the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine.
• The two leaders are set to reinforce the development of "traditionally friendly relations between Russia and India," as well as discuss "topical issues on the international and regional agendas," the Kremlin said last week.
• Since March this year, India has sought the release of nationals, said to have been "duped" into serving in the Russian army, following the uncovering of what the South Asian nation has labeled as a "major human trafficking network."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, marking his first visit to the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine.

Their meeting is significant as it's the Indian premier's first bilateral trip overseas since he was reelected for a rare third term in June.

The two leaders are set to reinforce the development of "traditionally friendly relations between Russia and India," as well as discuss "topical issues on the international and regional agendas," the Kremlin said last week.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the two sides to review a range of bilateral issues — from defense and trade, to investment ties and energy cooperation, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said in a media briefing on Friday.

Russia and India will also assess the status of bilateral engagements in groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Group of 20, the BRICS bloc of developing nations, the United Nations, and the East Asia Summit, Kwatra said.

"The issue of early discharge of Indian nationals who have been misled into the service of the Russian