Exclusive - Crimean leader in New Delhi during Putin visit

Pro-Russian head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov speaks during a news conference in Moscow, October 16, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The leader of Crimea, the former Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, arrived for unofficial talks in New Delhi on Thursday as President Vladimir Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit.

Sergey Aksyonov met a Mumbai businessman to discuss boosting trade with the Black Sea region. India does not support Western sanctions against Russia, but the meeting may prove an irritant before President Barack Obama visits India in January.