Preparations are underway for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

“(Russian) President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation for a visit from the head of the Indian government,” Lavrov was quoted as telling the Russian news agency TASS. “Preparations are currently underway for the Russian head of state to visit the Indian republic.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first foreign visit to Russia since his re-election last year, Lavrov added. “Now is our turn,” he said.

The Russian foreign minister made the statement during a video address at a conference hosted by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) on the theme “Russia and India: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda”.

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The exact dates for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India have not yet been announced.

In early February, the TASS news agency reported that there was a “high probability” of the Indian prime minister’s visit to attend the annual military parade on Moscow’s Red Square to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

However, people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Hindustan Times that although the Russian side had invited Prime Minister Modi, a visit was not being considered.

Prime Minister Modi visited Russia in July 2024. It was Modi’s first visit to Russia in nearly five years. During the visit, Modi had invited the Russian President to visit India.

Vladimir Putin last visited India for an annual summit in December 2021 and the proposed visit would be the first since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.