New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his brief visit to India saying it’s a reflection of the latter’s commitment to ties with India. This is Mr Putin’s second overseas trip since the Covid pandemic began.
“Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, there has been no change in the relationship between India and Russia,” PM Modi said at the 21st India-Russia summit that covered an array of areas with an aim to further enhance the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries. The annual summit is held alternately in India and Russia
The Prime Minister pointed out that the two countries cooperated during the Covid pandemic as well, in the field of vaccine and humanitarian support.
“You should be credited for the strategic partnership between our countries for the 3 decades,” PM Modi said during the summit that took place hours after the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries held their inaugural ”2+2” dialogue with an aim to widen the ambit of discussions on strategically important issues.
The Prime Minister also mentioned cooperation in the economic sector, under which the two countries are adopting a long-term vision. “To achieve the aims of this partnership, we need to encourage our business leaders,” he added.
Referring to evolving geopolitics and changing fundamentals in world politics, he said that the India-Russia friendship has been constant amid all such variables. “Both countries have assisted each other and also taken care of each other’s sensitivities,” PM Modi said.
Putin called India a “great power” and “a time-tested friend”. This summit is the first in-person between the two leaders since they met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in 2019 in Brasilia. The Russian President had skipped both the G20 and COP26 summits this year.
Pointing out that the two countries have held joint military exercises in both Indian and Russian territories, he said that Russia intends to work further on this matter.
With inputs from NDTV
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