Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the close, decades-long bilateral ties between their two countries during talks in Moscow on Tuesday.
India and Russia are linked by a “privileged strategic partnership,” Putin said during the meeting in the Kremlin.
Trade between the two countries has increased by 60% in the past year, reaching the equivalent of $65 billion, according to India’s commerce ministry, with Indian imports of oil and fertilizer from Russia accounting for the bulk.
“Every Indian feels in his heart that Russia is a friend of India in good times and bad,” Modi said at a meeting with representatives of the Indian community in Moscow. “This relationship is based on a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect.”
In a joint statement issued after the talks, the two countries said they plan to continue cooperation in the field of military technologies, including promoting joint production of spare parts for Russian weapons and defense equipment in India.
While the majority of India’s military equipment comes from Russia, the share of Russian arms imports has declined in recent times.
Instead, India has increasingly relied on purchases from the US, Israel and France. According to the statement, Russia and India also plan to expand their bilateral trade – ideally to a volume of $100 billion by 2030.
India has traditionally maintained good relations with Russia, although it also maintains close ties with Western countries, which want to work closely with India as China becomes increasingly aggressive.
On the other hand, the close relationship between Russia and China is a thorn in India’s side.
“India is seen as a strong pillar of the new, emerging, multipolar world order,” Modi said on Tuesday. “When India talks about peace, dialogue and diplomacy, the whole world listens. Whenever the world faces a crisis, India is the first country to arrive.”
The Modi government is seeking to take a pragmatic stance on Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
With Russian oil cheap due to Western sanctions, India has become one of the largest buyers. At the same time, Indian leaders have repeatedly called on all sides to engage in dialogue.
During Modi’s visit to Moscow, Putin thanked the Indian leader for his efforts to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin, 71, is restricted in his international contacts due to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Putin received his guest at his residence on the outskirts of Moscow.
According to the Kremlin, the two spoke for three hours, traveled together in an electric cart and watched a horse show.
However, Modi’s visit was sharply criticized by many leaders in the West and the Ukrainian government over recent civilian deaths, including the bombing of a children’s hospital in Ukraine.
“It is a great disappointment and a setback for peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy on such a day in Moscow embracing the world’s bloodiest criminal,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
