Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia reached a pivotal moment on Tuesday as he held a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin. This marked their first meeting in two years and the first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While the ongoing conflict was on the agenda, the discussion primarily focused on economic cooperation, especially in the sectors of energy, trade, manufacturing, and fertilizers.
India has emerged as a significant purchaser of Russian oil, providing Moscow with a crucial export market after many European buyers ceased their purchases due to the Ukraine conflict. This mutually advantageous trade was a key point in PM Modi’s opening remarks to President Putin.
Expressing optimism about the future of India-Russia relations, PM Modi, on his first bilateral visit of his third term, noted that the energy cooperation between the two nations had global benefits. “We could insulate common citizens in India from difficulties in terms of availability of fuel because of your cooperation,” he told President Putin.
Amid a series of recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi highlighted India’s long-standing challenge with terrorism, condemning all forms of it. He stressed that India has been grappling with terrorism for around 40 years.
The Prime Minister also pointed out the multiple challenges the world has faced in the past five years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and various conflicts. “When the world faced a shortage of food, fuel, and fertilizers, we did not allow our farmers to face problems, and our ties with Russia played a role in it,” PM Modi stated.
