India, Dec. 1 -- By Ayushi Agarwal

Gurugram (Haryana) [India], December 1 (ANI): As India prepares to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra has said that the Russian leader's India visit is a reaffirmation of a "long-standing, deep-rooted and multifaceted partnership" at a time of shifting geopolitical currents and a clear demonstration of New Delhi's strategic autonomy.

In an interview with ANI, Malhotra stressed that the visit signals India's independent foreign policy choices. "It shows that our decisions are based on our own national interest and are not subject to external pressures," he said. India's foreign policy today, he noted, rests on two pillars: strategic autonomy and mu...