New Delhi (TIP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin drew satisfaction from the trajectory of bilateral ties with India when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on him on Wednesday, December 27, evening.
In an indication of the warmth in ties with India, the arrangement of the interaction with Jaishankar at the Kremlin was different from Putin’s interactions with other world leaders. Jaishankar and Putin sat face to face across the narrow width of a table whereas in the last meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, for instance, both leaders sat at either ends of the table or about 30 feet across from each other. Putin said bilateral trade had galloped for the second year running, while noting this year, the growth rates were even higher than last year. “It is common knowledge that this is primarily energy resources — oil, oil products and coal — but it’s not just that. We are working together in high-tech areas,” said Putin, according to a Kremlin readout. “We are very pleased to note that despite the current turbulence in the world, relations with our traditional friends in Asia, with India and the Indian people are making steady headway,” he added.
The Russian leader also suggested that Moscow understood and appreciated PM Modi’s position. “We know the position of PM Modi and have talked about this more than once. I am referring to his position, his attitude to complicated processes, including hotspots, and the situation in Ukraine. I have repeatedly informed him about the situation around this conflict. I know about his striving to resolve this problem through peaceful means,” he observed.
Putin, while inviting PM Modi to visit Moscow next year, said he realised that next year, India’s domestic political calendar is not simple. “It is complicated considering that India will hold General Election. We wish success to our friends in India. We believe we will maintain our traditional friendly ties in any alignment of political forces,” he observed. Jaishankar said he was “honoured” to call on Putin and revealed he handed over a personal message from PM Modi. He added PM Modi was looking forward to visiting Russia next year
Source: TNS