India favours resolving the Ukraine conflict peacefully and is ready to contribute to the process: PM Narendra Modi

By R Anil Kumar

MOSCOW, July 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Russia visit reached what is arguably its most important portion with the Prime Minister holding a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin, their first in two years. This is also the first such meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

While the war was certainly on the agenda, economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of energy, trade, manufacturing, and fertilisers, dominated the meeting.

Despite criticism from the West, India has become a major buyer of Russian oil and this has benefited both countries because it also provided a much-needed export market for Moscow after several buyers in Europe decided not to make oil purchases from it in view of the Ukraine invasion.

This mutually beneficial trade featured in PM Modi’s opening remarks to Mr Putin during the meeting.

Expressing confidence that India-Russia ties will strengthen further, the Prime Minister, who is on his first bilateral visit in his third term, said cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector helped the world as well.

“We could insulate common citizens in India from difficulties in terms of availability of fuel because of your cooperation,” he told Mr Putin.

At a time when India has seen a string of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi told Mr Putin that the country has faced the challenge of terrorism for around 40 years. “I condemn all forms of terrorism,” he said.

Pointing out that the world has had to face multiple challenges in the past five years, first due to Covid-19 and then because of various conflicts, the PM said, “When the world faced a shortage of food, fuel and fertilisers, we did not allow our farmers to face problems, and our ties with Russia played a role in it.”

India ready to contribute to resolving Ukraine conflict, Modi says

According to Narendra Modi, India is confident that any conflicts globally can only be resolved by peaceful means and through dialogue

India favours resolving the Ukraine conflict peacefully and is ready to contribute to the process, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ahead of official talks between the Russian and Indian delegations at the Kremlin.

“We are ready to make any contribution to resolving” the conflict, Modi said as he recounted that at an informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday the two leaders “agreed that peace should be established as soon as possible.”

According to Modi, India is confident that any conflicts globally can only be resolved by peaceful means and through dialogue. “Rockets, shells or guns cannot help in solving issues or establishing peace. We are confident that only a peaceful path of dialogue can help. There should be dialogue,” he emphasized.

“A bright future of next generations needs peace,” the Indian premier concluded.

Putin thanks Indian PM for trying to help resolve Ukraine crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to help find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.

“I am grateful to you for the attention you pay to the most pressing issues, particularly trying to find ways to resolve the Ukraine crisis, primarily through peaceful means,” Putin said, addressing the Indian premier during their talks at the Kremlin.

“We closely cooperate on the international stage, namely within international organizations,” Putin pointed out. He specified that cooperation was underway “primarily within the UN and groups such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.”

Putin invited the Indian premier to the BRICS summit set to take place in the Russian city of Kazan in October.

“We will be pleased to see you at the BRICS summit in Kazan this fall,” the Russian leader said, addressing Modi. Russia holds the BRICS presidency this year.

“Yesterday, we had the opportunity to communicate in an informal atmosphere and talk about almost all the issues,” Putin noted. On July 8, the two leaders spent several hours together at Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow.

Putin commends privileged strategic partnership between Russia, India

The Russian leader expressed satisfaction with growing trade between the two countries which he said saw a 66% increase last year “and rose by another 20% in the first quarter of this year”

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Moscow and New Delhi maintain a privileged strategic partnership.

“Our countries have enjoyed decades of a good friendship,” Putin said at talks with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kremlin.

“Today, our relations have the nature of a privileged strategic partnership,” he added.

The Russian leader expressed satisfaction with growing trade between the two countries which he said saw a 66% increase last year “and rose by another 20% in the first quarter of this year.”

Putin once again congratulated Modi on his re-election as Indian premier as he noted that Modi had arrived in Russia for his first official foreign visit after he was sworn in for another term at the helm of the government following the Indian general election last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia President Vladimir Putin visit to Rosatom Pavilion at VDNKh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accompanied by President Vladimir Putin visited the All Russian Exhibition Centre, VDNKh, in Moscow.

The two leaders toured the Rosatom Pavilion at VDNKh. The Rosatom pavilion, inaugurated in November 2023, is one of the largest exhibitions on the history of scientific and technological developments.

Prime Minister witnessed a photo exhibition dedicated to India-Russia cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. Prime Minister was also shown the “Atomic Symphony” – a permanent working model of the VVER-1000 reactor which is the heart of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in India.

At the Pavilion, Prime Minister also interacted with a group of Indian and Russian students. He encouraged them to look at future possibilites in the realm of science and technology which could be harnessed for the benefit of future generations and for the planet.

Prime Minister pays tribute at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Moscow

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid tributes at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Moscow. He also laid a wreath at the Tomb.

The ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ is a war memorial located at the Kremlin wall, Moscow. It is dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who lost their lives during World War II.