Russia-India: Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, a fortnight after his visit to New Delhi, in an effort to rekindle an unique friendship with India.
According to reports, the call will build on the substantive discussions between the two presidents that took place on December 6 in the stately Hyderabad House in the Indian capital.
Separately, Putin is sending Yury Borisov, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, to India next week. Borisov will primarily follow up on the two big military agreements that New Delhi and Moscow have inked - one on the production of AK-203 rifles at a plant in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, and a framework ten-year plan on military-technical cooperation - according to the sources.
Furthermore, assembly of the extremely powerful S-400 air defence missile systems has begun, and the two regiments are scheduled to be completely operational early next year. The S-400's supply is crucial for reestablishing the power balance with China. China has placed S-400 missiles in Ngari Gar Gunsa, which is located over the border from Ladakh, and Nyingchi Air Base, which is located in Arunachal Pradesh.
Putin, Macron talk about the migrant crisis in Belarus and Ukraine.
