The Indian Prime Minister was in any case expected to visit Russia this year for an annual summit with Putin, and it is unclear whether the summit will be held on the margins of the economic conclave. Modi, for instance, is also expected to visit Israel in June, but the government is unwilling to comment on the trip yet. The announcement of Modi's visit comes a day after national security adviser Ajit Doval ended a two-day meeting with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow, and the two countries held counter-terrorism talks in New Delhi. Russia has in turn deepened ties with Pakistan, propping it up as a key partner to tackle the rise of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. "Fluidity at the great power level is translating into uncertainty at the regional level," Jaishankar said a day after returning from the trip.

Source: The Telegraph February 01, 2017 22:17 UTC