Putin greets Modi on 75th birthday lauds his role in strengthening India-Russia ties

Moscow, Sep 17 (PTI) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday and lauded his “enormous personal contribution” to strengthening partnership between Moscow and New Delhi.
     “I just had a conversation with the Prime Minister of India, Mr Modi. I congratulated our friend, the Prime Minister of India, on his 75th birthday, on behalf of all of you,” Putin said in a video conference with the Russian cabinet. Prime Minister Modi’s government “pursues a totally independent and sovereign policy course. And, more importantly, it achieves excellent results in the economic sphere,” Putin said.
     In a televised report, Putin noted a “national consensus in both countries on bilateral friendly relations, which have transcended different party lines.”
     “I would like to point out that throughout modern and contemporary history, to be precise, since the times of the Soviet Union and then in the era of new Russia, relations between India and Russia have been exceptionally trusting and friendly,” Putin told his cabinet members.
     He pointed out that the government of Prime Minister Modi is continuing and developing the policy of friendship between Moscow and New Delhi.
     After he told his cabinet colleague that he congratulated Modi “on behalf of all of you,” Putin said, “And from him (Modi), I want to pass along best regards and wishes to the entire Russian leadership.”
     Earlier in the day, Putin greeted Modi on his 75th birthday and lauded his “enormous personal contribution” in strengthening the partnership between Moscow and New Delhi. In a message published on the Kremlin website, the Russian leader said, “Dear Mr Prime Minister, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your 75th birthday.”
     “You are making a great personal contribution to strengthening the special privileged strategic partnership between our countries, to developing mutually beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation in various areas,” he said.
     Putin added that Modi has earned the high respect of his “compatriots and enormous authority on the world stage” through his activities as head of government.
     The Russian president also said that India has made impressive achievements in the social, economic, scientific and technical fields under Modi's leadership.
     Modi and Putin met last month at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)