 "Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. Reuters")
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Ukraine peace efforts as the two leaders sat face to face to hold bilateral talks at the Hyderabad House. On Thursday, Putin commenced his two-day visit to India with the ambition to bolster the already strong ties between the two nations.
The Russian leader is on a state visit, attending the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, underscoring the deep and longstanding partnership between the two nations. While speaking to the Indian Prime Minister, Putin said that the relationship between the two countries has been “based on trust".
Putin further stated that the world would only benefit if one travels on the path of peace. He went on to hail Moscow’s relations with New Delhi, calling them deeply rooted in history. The two leaders discussed war along with a plethora of issues shortly after they paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in the national capital.
Upon his arrival, Putin also received a ceremonial welcome and a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
‘India is not neutral’
Meanwhile, during the talks, PM Modi brought up the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and said that India is “not neutral" and firmly stands “on the side of peace".
Welcoming the Russian leader and the delegation, PM Modi said both countries have remained in continuous contact since the start of the Ukraine crisis. He noted that Moscow has “briefed us on everything and shown faith in us," reaffirming that India believes in dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
In response, Putin thanked PM Modi for the invitation and expressed appreciation for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation during their visit. It is pertinent to note that this is Putin’s first visit to India since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.