India’s PM says nation is excited for Putin to visit

(MENAFN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the people of India are “eagerly waiting” for his visit later this year. Putin is scheduled to travel to India in December for the annual bilateral summit with Modi.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where they emphasized that the partnership between their countries is steadily expanding across multiple areas.

”This year in December, for our 23rd summit, 1.4 billion Indians are eagerly waiting for you,” Modi said to Putin.

Highlighting the depth of their ties, Modi noted that Russia and India have stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” in the “most difficult of situations,” and added, “Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity.”

Putin, addressing Modi as his “dear friend,” pointed out, “December 21 marks 15 years since the adoption of the joint statement which marked the transition of our relations to the level of a special, privileged, strategic partner.” He further stated, “We can confidently state that the multifaceted Russian-Indian relations are actively developing, based on these principles.”

During the discussion, Modi also touched on the Ukraine conflict, saying, “We welcome all the recent efforts for peace. We hope that all parties will move forward constructively. A way has to be found to end the conflict as soon as possible and establish lasting peace. This is the call of the entire humanity.”

Before the official delegation-level talks, the two leaders reportedly spent about an hour in private conversation inside Putin’s Aurus vehicle. “They communicated both in the car while driving and then continued their discussion inside the car,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained.

This marks the first in-person meeting between Putin and Modi this year, although they have remained in frequent contact by phone.

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