MOSCOW: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Moscow for a summit with President Vladimir Putin that is expected to focus on defence, nuclear and space cooperation.

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar says an array of agreements are being prepared for signature after the Thursday meeting, but did not give details. Modi is to arrive on Wednesday and have a private dinner hosted by Putin in the evening.

Russia and India have shared close ties since the Cold War. Although India remains a top customer for the Russian armaments industry, the country in recent years has tried to diversify its purchases, buying military hardware from the United States, France and Israel.

The leaders of India and Russia have held annual summits since 2000.