Finance
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Hyderabad House in the national capital, where the two leaders would discuss boosting bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in a variety of areas, including the economy, defense, and commerce.
Prior to arriving at Hyderabad House, President Putin laid a wreath at the Rajghat to honor Mahatma Gandhi. He was accompanied by Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to the Rajghat.
Earlier in the day, the Russian President was greeted ceremonially at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s forecourt and given a guard of honour.
The Russian President’s India agenda remains packed for the day, as he will attend a business event later in the day and be hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for a banquet in the evening.
Putin will attend a business event at Bharat Mandapam aimed at improving commercial and investment relations. In the evening, the Russian President will attend a reception hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Putin began his State Visit to India on Thursday evening, with an unprecedented personal gesture from Prime Minister Modi, who met him at the airport and drove him from the tarmac in the same vehicle.
PM Modi also presented a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in Russian language to President Putin, describing the scripture as a source of inspiration for people across the world.
Taking to X, the Prime Minister shared an image showing him handing over the Russian edition of the Gita to President Putin. “Presented a copy of the Gita in Russian to President Putin. The teachings of the Gita give inspiration to millions across the world,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Putin’s India visit follows PM Modi’s July 2024 trip to Moscow, where the former hosted the Indian Prime Minister at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence. The back-to-back high-level engagements highlight the sustained momentum in bilateral relations, with both sides positioning the partnership as stable, durable and strategically indispensable.
Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for India. Development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India’s foreign policy. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000, ties between two nations have acquired a qualitatively new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all sectors, including political, security, defense, trade and economy, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people ties.
Source: IANS
