Moscow: During the yearly Record Question and Answer session with the press on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin listed our Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his intimate friends in world leadership, along with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
When asked what historic or living personalities he would prefer to have a cup of tea with, Putin first mentioned ex-European leaders like Germany’s Helmut Kohl, France’s Jacques Chirac, and Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, only to go on and list his current interactions with Asian leaders.
The Russian president said, ‘Prime Minister Modi and I have very good relations,’ stressing the concern in Moscow of Russia’s good relations with both India and China. This endorsement arises within days of his praise this month of the Modi government policies that promote nationalism, or so-called aggressive nationalism, holding economic growth as paramount.
Especially, he praised India’s “India First” policy concept, saying,’Prime Minister Modi and his government, indeed,© aim at putting India first, and we truly think that investing in India is good.” This statement acquires importance, particularly in light of Putin’s expected bilateral summit visit to New Delhi in the early part of 2025, though the exact dates are yet to be notified.
The Russian government had earlier this month said that arrangements for Putin’s trip to India were being planned. This visit is seen as a timely measure toward enhancing the strategic cooperation between two countries as the world is changing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received warm words from Putin, hence showing that Russia and India enjoy a better political relationship today than ever before despite the pressures of the ever-shifting global dynamics. The fact that the Russian president publicly recognised Modi as his friend and partner may suggest further development of bilateral relations in the future years.
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