Our strategic ties continue to grow stronger: PM Modi to Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin with PM Modi in Russia. Source: Reuters. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.
NEW DELHI, Dec 6, 2021, India Today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at Hyderabad House in New Delhi as the two leaders held the 21st Indo-Russia Summit on Monday, India Today reported.
In his opening remarks, PM Modi said that there has been no change in ties between the two nations even during the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that 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.
“Our two countries have faced many challenges in the recent past. We have not only cooperated, but also kept each other’s sensitivities in mind,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister further added, “In the last few decades, the world witnessed many fundamental changes and different kinds of geopolitical equations emerged, but the friendship of India and Russia remained constant.”
“The relation between India and Russia is truly a unique and reliable model of interstate friendship,” PM Modi said at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Delhi for the highly anticipated meeting with PM Modi, said,” We perceive India as a great power, a friendly nation, and a time-tested friend. The relations between our nations are growing, and I am looking into the future.”
“Currently, mutual investments stand at about 38 billion with a bit more investment coming from the Russian side. We cooperate greatly in military and technical sphere like no other country. We develop high technologies together as well as produce in India,” the Russian President added.
India, Russia 2+2 Dialogue
Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation on Monday.
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.
At the end of the talks between the defence ministers, both sides inked an agreement for joint production of over six lakh AK-203 assault rifles at a manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi besides firming up another pact on military cooperation for 10 years.
The rifles will be manufactured for the Indian armed forces at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore.
The agreements were signed at the 20th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).
(With inputs from PTI)
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