UNI
New Delhi, Jan 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the Chief Guest at the Republic day Parade this year, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman announced here.
Putin will arrive here on a two-day official visit on January 25 heading a high-level delegation of senior officials.
During the visit, Putin will have discussions with Indian leaders on intnational issues of mutual interest and concern.
The visit will also provide an opportunity to both countries to review the whole array of bilateral relations.
Discussions would also be heldd on wide variety of issuees includding Defence, space, energy, political and economic aspects, the spokesman added.
Meanwhile according to a report from Moscow, Putin will pay an official visit to India on January 25-26. ''The Russian-Indian Summit is scheduled to coincide with the Indian state holiday, Republic Day , which the Russian President will attend as the main guest,'' the Kremlin press service said today.
Putin will be the first Soviet or Russian President to participate in the Republic Day Parade as a special guest of honour.
He will also be the third leader, among the P-5 members, after British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac to be accorded such an honour by India.
Putin will arrive in New Delhi late into night on January 24 for his regular summit with Prime Minister Manomohan Singh on January 25.
Up to ten agreements are expected to be signed during his visit, including in the fields of energy, defence, space and culture, a source said adding talks on some of which for giving final touches are still going on.
Ahead of Mr Putin's visit, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov will arrive in Bangalore on January 22 to conduct talks with ISRO and HAL officials. On January 24, he will travel to New Delhi, to cochair the Indo-Russian Commission on military-technical cooperation with his Indian counterpart A K Anthony.
The head of Russian nuclear power agency (Rosatom) Sergei Kiriyenko will visit Kudankulam nuclear power station on January 22.
Later he will join Putin's delegation in New Delhi.