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Modi-Putin Meet: India's Got Russia's Back in Latest Standoff With the West

© Sputnik / Alexei Druzhinin / Go to the mediabankRussian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, during their meeting at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017 in Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, during their meeting at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017 in Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna - Sputnik International
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An official at India’s foreign ministry has told Sputnik that India is clear on its agenda of supporting Russia in the Salisbury case and not letting any third country dictate the terms of engagement with Russia, including the defense deals in the pipeline.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's one-day visit to Sochi is set to convey India's commitment towards Russia on the recent stand-off with Western countries on almost every issue, including that of the Salisbury case. Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet for 4-6 hours on May 21 wherein both leaders will exchange views on the geopolitical situation arising out after Donald Trump's policy on Iran and North Korea.

READ MORE: Indian Team Visits Russian Defense Facilities Amid US Sanctions Threat

(L to R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrive for the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries on the sidelines of the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, southeastern China's Fujian Province on September 5, 2017 - Sputnik International
Russia, India, China Coming Together Against US – Indian Professor
A highly placed official of India's Ministry of External Affairs told Sputnik that India has made it amply clear that it is standing by Russia over the Salisbury case of chemical poisoning of two Russians in the UK. That is why New Delhi asked for evidence from the US and European countries before "apportioning blame," the official said, while agreeing that Russia has been India's reliable and trusted partner and it will not allow any other country to affect India's defense interest.

"We are not going to allow our defense requirement to be dictated by any other country. We have conveyed this to the Capitol Hill. Russia has been a reliable and trusted partner," the official said, referring to the US' twin actions of passing the CAATSA law that threatens to derail India's planned purchases of defense equipment worth $12 billion from Russia.

READ MORE: Unwise for US to Think Sanctions Will Hamper India-Russia Arms Deals — Analyst

Other than the Sochi meeting, Modi and Putin would also be meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's annual meet in China in June this year, followed by the BRICS summit in South Africa in July, the Indo-Russia annual summit in October and the G-20 summit in Argentina in November.

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