The India-Russia bromance was on full display as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, addressed a joint conference, hailing each other's leadership and the progress made in the bilateral ties under their leadership.
Prime Minister Modi praised his "friend" Putin and said for the past two and a half decades, he (President Putin) has nurtured the India-Russia relationship with his leadership and vision, while the Russian president thanked the PM for the warm reception and dinner he received in India.
Trade, terrorism, defence ties and the Russia-Ukraine war found a mention in the joint press conference where both leaders highlighted the mutual benefits of the India-Russia relationship.
"I am confident that in the years to come, our friendship will give us the strength to meet global challenges, and that this trust will further enrich our shared future," Modi said.
India and Russia have long been standing shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism, the PM said, adding, "Whether it is the terrorist attack in Pahalgam or the cowardly attack on the Crocus City Hall, the root of all these incidents is the same. India's unwavering belief is that terrorism is a direct assault on the values of humanity and that global unity against it is our greatest strength."
Defence and energy
Putin highlighted the defence cooperation between India and Russia in the past five decades and said Moscow has been helping India to arm and modernise the Indian armed forces.
Even as India is engaged in talks with the US for a trade deal to cut punitive tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on its goods over India's Russian oil purchases, Putin said Moscow is ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the growing Indian economy.
He said India and Russia are working on a project to build the largest Indian nuclear plant and added that three out of six reactors have already been connected to the energy network.
Modi observed that the decades-old cooperation between the two countries in civil nuclear energy has been crucial in realising the shared clean energy priorities and added that this cooperation will be continued further.
"Our cooperation in critical minerals is crucial to ensuring secure and diversified supply chains across the world. This will provide strong support to our partnership in clean energy, high-tech manufacturing, and new-age industries," PM Modi said.
Trade ties
Lauding the business ties between the two nations, Putin said last year the bilateral trade turnover of the two countries had grown 12 per cent. "...we are forecasting that the results of this year will remain at the same impressive level. At the same time, as I perceive it, we are up to the task of getting this number to the level of $100 billion."
Expressing satisfaction over the results of the negotiations India and Russia just had, Putin said he is confident that the agreements reached will help further deepen the Russian-Indian strategic partnership for the benefit of both the countries and their people.
He promised all necessary assistance to India when New Delhi assumes chairmanship of BRICS next year. "As state founders of the BRICS, Russia and India have done a lot of things and continue to do more to increase the authority of the organisation."
On Russia-Ukraine conflict
Speaking about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Modi said India has advocated for peace on the Ukraine issue from the very beginning. "We welcome all efforts being made for a peaceful and lasting resolution of this matter. India has always been ready to contribute its part and will remain so in the future."
