Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, said on Sunday that he was leaving for India for a series of 'important' talks.
"We will be in New Delhi by nightfall, important meetings and negotiations are planned tomorrow," Volodin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said in a post on his Telegram messaging app.
"India is a strategic partner. We have long-standing relations of trust and mutually beneficial cooperation with it. It is necessary to develop contacts in all areas."
