Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in India to attend the BRICS summit, held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday.
At that time, both leaders pledged to achieve the goal of increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion (Rs. 9.56 lakh crore) by 2030. They also discussed in detail the strategies for doing so.
Amid the current turbulent global situation, both sides have decided to further enhance cooperation in sectors including trade, investment, security, energy, critical minerals, and fertilizer supply.
The Russian President’s visit: The BRICS summit, comprising 11 countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia — will begin in Delhi on Saturday under India’s chairmanship and will be held over two days.
To participate in this summit, Russian President Putin arrived in India on Friday for a three-day state visit. This is the first time since the Ukraine war began in 2022 that Putin has traveled to another country for a BRICS summit.
He was received by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh upon his arrival at Delhi airport. Later, Prime Minister Modi accorded Putin a welcome at Bharat Mandapam. Following this, the two leaders engaged in detailed talks.
The meeting lasted about 45 minutes against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and the West Asian crisis, particularly the impact on the global economy caused by the blockade of the Hormuz Strait.
Modi-Putin commitment: Later, in a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, it said that, “Amid the current geopolitical instability, the two leaders pledged to further strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia and to increase cooperation in areas including defense, critical minerals, nuclear power generation, fertilizer supply, bilateral people-to-people ties, and investment. The two also exchanged views on issues of regional and global importance, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region (Russia-Ukraine).”
They reviewed progress on enhancing cooperation in areas including politics, economics, security, energy, space, and the migration of skilled workers, and resolved to work toward achieving the target of increasing bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from the current $65 billion (Rs. 6.21 lakh crore).
Accepting the invitation, the Prime Minister exchanged views on India-Russia cooperation on multilateral platforms including BRICS.
President Putin invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Russia for the 24th India-Russia summit. The Prime Minister accepted the invitation, the press release said.
According to informed sources, discussions also covered the development of BrahMos missiles, the delivery of the remaining S-400 air defense systems, the delivery of Sukhoi-57 fighter jets, and cooperation in railway and tunnel projects.
Swift resolution to the war;
Safety of Indian sailors - Prime Minister urges Putin
Prime Minister Modi told Russian President Putin that “a swift resolution to the war should be found through dialogue and diplomacy; India is ready to assist in peace efforts.”
The Ministry of External Affairs said that the Prime Minister also spoke to Putin about the disruptions to maritime trade caused by tensions in West Asia and the Black Sea region (the Ukraine-Russia conflict), and stressed the need to ensure the safety of Indian seafarers. The Prime Minister raised this issue after five Indian seafarers lost their lives in the Black Sea region due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Earlier, it is noteworthy that Prime Minister Modi and President Putin met and spoke on the sidelines of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Prime Minister Modi presents the Thirukkural book to Putin
During his meeting with President Putin, Prime Minister Modi presented him with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural as a gift. In a post on X regarding this, the Prime Minister said, “I presented President Putin with the Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.”
He also shared a video of his meeting with Putin. In it, after Prime Minister Modi presented a copy of the Thirukkural, the two leaders shook hands.
At a Pongal celebration event held in Delhi last January, Prime Minister Modi, who participated and spoke, had praised the Thirukkural, saying, “The Thirukkural contains extensive ideas about agriculture and farmers.”
Traveling in the same car
After bilateral talks at the Bharat Mandapam complex in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi and President Putin traveled in the same car to attend the BRICS trade meeting. Sources said that during the ride, the President briefed the Prime Minister on the overall situation regarding the Ukraine war.
Meeting with the Iranian President
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is in Delhi for the BRICS summit, met and spoke with Prime Minister Modi on Friday. The two discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.
This meeting took place amid tensions in West Asia and retaliatory actions by the United States. This is Pezeshkian’s first visit to India as Iran’s president.
