MOSCOW: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin plans to travel to India in December, Putin’s aide said Friday. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the Russian leader will discuss his upcoming December visit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in China. Putin and Modi will meet on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was established by China and Russia in 2001 with a focus on security in Central Asia and the wider region.

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s four-day trip, which includes Japan visit, comes while India seeks to diversify trade and bolster ties with Beijing

As relations between India and the United States sour, China will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a regional security summit this weekend.