On Monday, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation wherein they discussed progress on a number of issues of bilateral cooperation.
In December, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar visited Russia, and the two countries had agreed to strengthen military and technical cooperation, including the manufacturing of modern weaponry.
Modi, Putin Discuss Bilateral Relations
According to a statement released by the PM’s Office, the leaders “agreed to develop a roadmap for future initiatives to further strengthen the India-Russia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
Per the statement, following recent high-level talks between both countries, the leaders reviewed progress on a number of issues of bilateral cooperation.
Modi and Putin also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The Indian PM expressed his best wishes for Russia’s BRICS Presidency in 2024 and pledged India’s full support.
Had a good conversation with President Putin. We discussed various positive developments in our Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership and agreed to chalk out a roadmap for future initiatives. We also had a useful exchange of views on various regional and global issues,…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 15, 2024
In a statement, the Kremlin said, “Both sides expressed satisfaction with various successes in practical interaction in such areas as cooperation in trade and the economy, science and technology, energy, transport and logistics, as well as cooperation in Russia’s Far East.”
Putin and Modi expressed an interest in strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral ties and wished each other well in the upcoming elections — the Russian presidential election and the Indian general election, the statement read.
According to the statement, India intends to assist Russia in achieving its chairmanship’s goals and objectives. Russia assumed the BRICS chairmanship on 1 January 2024.
Jaishankar’s Recent Visit to Russia
Jaishankar visited Russia from 25-29 December as part of ongoing high-level discussions between the two countries. During the visit, both sides inked “very important” agreements for the future power-generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant being built in Tamil Nadu.
Additionally, agreements were signed in medicine, pharmaceutical substances, and medical equipment. The two nations welcomed considerable progress in trade, finance, connectivity, energy, civil aviation, and nuclear sectors and applauded the greater focus on exploring new opportunities.
The EAM engaged in a “wide-ranging and useful” meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. They reviewed the international situation and current issues, including the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine War, the conflict in Gaza, Afghanistan and Central Asia, BRICS, SCO, G20, and the UN.
During Jaishankar’s meeting with Putin, the Russian president invited PM Modi to visit Russia. “We would be glad to see our friend, PM Modi, in Russia,” Putin remarked.
Furthermore, at a joint press conference with Lavrov, Jaishankar reaffirmed that PM Modi and Putin would meet for an annual summit next year.