Two leaders discuss Af, terrorism; 28 pacts signed
India and Russia on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to enhance their ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Modi said relations between India and Russia are truly unique and a reliable model of interstate friendship.
“Your visit to India is a reflection of your commitment to ties with India,” Modi told Putin, adding the two countries remained in touch about situation in Afghanistan and other issues.
Putin said India is a great power and a time-tested friend.
The two leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Putin said they are “concerned about everything that has to do with terrorism. Fight against terrorism is also fight against drug trafficking and organised crime.”
On economic ties, the Russian President noted at present mutual investments amounted to more than 38 billion dollars and said “the two countries have a strong co-operation in military and technical sphere like no other country. We develop high technology together as well as produce in India.”
It was the 21st annual summit between the two countries. Modi had attended the summit in Russia in 2019. Last year, it could not be held due to the pandemic.
Putin’s one-day visit also signified the importance of the relations as this is his second visit abroad since the outbreak of the pandemic. He travelled to Geneva in June for his first meeting with US President Joe Biden.
The latest summit saw the two countries covering an array of areas with the objective to further cement the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
Highlighting the time-tested ties between the two nations, Modi said there is no change in the pace of relations between India and Russia despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Prime Minister said the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two sides was getting stronger and both sides remained in touch on the situation in Afghanistan and other issues.
In the last few decades, the world witnessed many fundamental changes and different kinds of geopolitical equations and variables, but the friendship of India and Russia remained constant, Modi said.
Giving details of the talks later, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said Putin’s visit was short but very productive and substantive as both the leaders had excellent discussions. The two sides also inked 28 agreements and MOUs, he added.
The Foreign Secretary also said the Prime Minister thanked Putin for the welfare of the Indian community in Russia during the pandemic. Both the leaders discussed the need for mutual recognition of vaccine certification to enable travel by citizens of both the countries, Shringla said.
The fact that Putin visited India is an indication of the importance he attaches to the bilateral relationship and his personal rapport with Modi, Shringla said.
The summit talks took place hours after the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries held their inaugural ‘2+2’ dialogue with an aim to widen the ambit of discussions on strategically important issues.
The day began with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC).
Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Then the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the two sides held the ‘2+2’ dialogue.
Both sides inked an agreement for joint production of over six lakh AK-203 assault rifles at a manufacturing facility in Amethi.