'Unusual': Indian officials on article written jointly by envoys of France, Germany and UK ahead of Putin trip

India and Russia are set to ink a number of agreements to enhance cooperation in an array of areas including trade and healthcare during Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to New Delhi this week, Indian officials said on Tuesday.

Both sides are also expected to seal a pact on mobility that will facilitate the movement of Indian workers to Russia. It will also outline conditions for the recruitment of Indian workers, the officials said.

President Putin will make a two-day visit to India beginning Thursday to hold annual summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is expected to produce a plethora of significant outcomes, including in the trade and defence spheres to further solidify the bilateral strategic ties.

The external affairs ministry officials said the Ukraine conflict is likely to come up in the Modi-Putin talks and reiterated India's long-standing position that the war cannot be decided on the battlefield and dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward.

In the context of ongoing US efforts to end the conflict, India supports any move leading to cessation of hostilities and lasting peace, they said.

The officials, referring to an article written jointly by the envoys of France, Germany and the UK in a leading newspaper, took objection to it.

The envoys criticised Putin, accusing him of blocking efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.

It is ''unusual'', the officials said, adding it is ''not an acceptable diplomatic practice''.

The officials said there have been intensified efforts to increase Indian exports, including agricultural items such as potatoes and pomegranates, marine products, processed food items and consumer goods.

It is learnt that Indian exports to Russia are expected to significantly increase in areas of pharma, agriculture, food products and consumer products.

The move comes amid concerns in New Delhi over a ballooning trade deficit in favour of Russia. India's annual procurement of goods and services from Russia amounts to around USD 65 billion while Russia's import from India stands at around USD 5 billion.

The officials said India is also looking at boosting cooperation in the fertiliser sector. Russia supplies three to four million tonnes of fertilisers to India annually.

The two sides are expected to sign several agreements covering areas such as trade, academia, agriculture and culture, the officials said.

The Indian and Russian sides are also likely to discuss New Delhi's proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

The aim will be to seal the FTA soon, the officials said.

Asked about the possibility of any agreement for cooperation in the defence sector, the officials said such pacts are never announced during summits.

On decline in India's procurement of Russian crude oil following US sanctions on two Russian oil giants, the officials said it depends on international market dynamics.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)