Meeting with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi

Taking part in the conversation on Russia's side were First Deputy Prime Minister, Russian Co-Chair of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation Denis Manturov Manturov DenisFirst Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation , Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin Oreshkin MaximDeputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office , Aide to the President Yury Ushakov Ushakov YuryAide to the President , Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India Denis Alipov, Minister of Defence, Russian Co-Chair of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation Andrei Belousov Belousov AndreiDefence Minister of the Russian Federation , Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov Reshetnikov MaximMinister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation , Governor of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina Nabiullina ElviraGovernor of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) , Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, and Rosneft CEO, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security Igor Sechin Sechin IgorRosneft CEO, Chairman of the Management Board .

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Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Modi NarendraPrime Minister of India (retranslated): Your Excellency, dear friend,

I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with you and to welcome you and your delegation to our country.

Since yesterday, representatives of your delegation have conducted numerous events and meetings with their Indian counterparts, and we have already seen substantial results and agreements following the conclusion of our annual summit. I am therefore confident that our summit will prove highly successful.

Your current visit, Mr President, carries truly historic significance. Exactly 25 years ago, you first visited India as President of the Russian Federation and laid the foundations of our strategic partnership. For me personally, this is also a momentous occasion, as we have known each other for 25 years.

Mr President, your role since the year 2000 - over the past two and a half decades - stands as testament to your far-sighted and steadfast leadership and to how bilateral relations should be developed. This serves as an exemplary model for other relationships, demonstrating how India-Russia relations have flourished.

Mr President, we regularly exchange views regarding Ukraine. As a true friend, you share with me the developments in this area. This reflects the profound trust between our nations. This is the strength - the true strength - of our relations.

We observe that the world is going through significant transformations, yet we consistently advocate for the establishment of peace, for its swift attainment, and we support all recent efforts in this regard. We must all work together to advance this cause - for the sake of peace. I am absolutely confident that the world will once again tread this path.

Your Excellency, when I meet with world leaders, I always tell them that India is not a neutral country; India does not hold a neutral position. We have our own stance, and that stance is in favour of peace - it is a position of peace. We support all efforts aimed at establishing peace, and we will march shoulder to shoulder with all powers that adhere to this path.

Mr President, the entire world has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been various other crises as well. Thus, we hope that we are once again on the path of progress and development, and our meeting today will instil hope in this regard.

Mr President, throughout the day, we will discuss a wide range of topics. May our meeting impart fresh momentum to our economic cooperation. We place great hopes on today's discussions, and we anticipate positive outcomes from our meeting.

Dear friend, once again, I extend my warmest welcome to you and your delegation in India.

Thank you.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, friends,

Thank you for the kind invitation and for such a pleasant evening yesterday. I particularly enjoyed our conversation, which was both friendly and immensely valuable.

I am grateful for the opportunity to explain in detail the situation in Ukraine, and for the chance to outline our joint efforts, alongside other partners such as the United States, to find a peaceful resolution to this crisis. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your personal effort to its resolution.

As for our bilateral relations, they represent a partnership with profound historical depth. However we choose to describe it, the true substance is what matters - and that substance is remarkably strong. We value this deeply, and we note, Mr Prime Minister, considerable personal attention you devote to nurturing it.

In recent years, we have accomplished a great deal in advancing our ties. As our nations and economies progress, so do the opportunities for our collaboration. We are adding new avenues for cooperation and joint advancement, including projects in areas such as high technology, aviation, space, and artificial intelligence. Our partnership in the military-technical sphere continues to be a cornerstone of mutual trust.

We are fully committed to advancing in all these areas, which only serves to underscore the exceptional level, nature, and trust inherent in our relationship.

Our teams have laid excellent groundwork in preparation for this visit, resulting in a number of significant documents. I look forward to discussing some of these initiatives further today, and I am confident we will conclude our meetings with a most positive outcome.

Thank you.