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PM Modi dials Putin on his 73rd birthday, reaffirms commitment to India-Russia ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Russian leader that he looks forward to welcoming President Vladimir Putin to India.
India and Russia pledged to further strengthen their strategic partnership on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted President Vladimir Putin on his birthday.
Modi dialled Putin to greet him on his 73rd birthday and convey best wishes for his good health and success, according to a readout on the conversation from the Indian side. Putin called up Modi on September 17 to greet him on his birthday, and this was the fourth phone conversation between them since early August.
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Tuesday’s conversation, which came about two months ahead of an expected visit to India by Putin, allowed the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties. Modi and Putin “reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia”, the readout said.
Modi said he looked forward to welcoming Putin to India for the 23rd bilateral summit.
Putin is expected to visit India around December 5 and the two sides are working on a range of deliverables to bolster cooperation in areas ranging from trade and investment to defence and security, people familiar with the matter said.
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In recent weeks, India has faced pressure from the US over its purchases of Russian energy and military hardware. The US has accused India of profiteering from its purchases of Russian oil.
Ahead of Putin’s trip, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to travel to New Delhi next month to firm up the details of the presidential visit. Putin last visited India in 2021, and this will be his first trip to the country since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The two sides are also set to hold a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) this month, the people said.
