UPDATES WITH OPENING REMARKS AHEAD OF SUMMIT; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Saadet Gokce, Elena Teslova, and Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (AA) - New Delhi is "on the side of peace" on the Ukraine crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, ahead of the 23rd annual India-Russia summit in New Delhi.
Putin and Modi held brief bilateral talks, open to media, after Indian President Droupadi Murmu welcomed Putin at the presidential house, alongside Modi, for a ceremonial guard of honor.
"I am fully confident that with the efforts being made in recent days, the world will once again return to the direction of peace," Modi said.
“We have regularly discussed Ukraine crisis and as true friend, you have informed me about issues,” he told Putin.
Recalling his recent conversations on Ukraine war with world leaders, Modi said: “I always told (them) India is not neutral. India is on the side of peace.”
“We are shoulder to shoulder with all efforts of peace,” he added.
Putin landed in New Delhi late Thursday for a two-day state visit, in a first since 2021 and the beginning of the Moscow-Kyiv war in February 2022.
- Modi 'informed in detail' about state of affairs in Ukrainian settlement, says Putin
For his part, Putin said he informed Modi in detail about the state of affairs in the Ukrainian settlement, including the recent contacts with US representatives.
Putin praised the Russian-Indian relations, saying that as the two countries and their economies develop, the opportunities for cooperation expand.
“As for our relations, they really have a very deep historical character, no matter how we characterize it, no matter what epithets we decorate it with, something else is important, the content is important,” he stressed.
Russia and India currently cooperate in a number of sectors, including aviation, space, high technologies, artificial intelligence, and defense, Putin noted.
“It highlights the character and level of trust. Our teams have worked very well in the run-up to our meeting, and today we have the opportunity to focus on details,” he said.
At their annual summit, Putin and Modi are likely to discuss defense, energy, and nuclear cooperation, payment mechanisms, the BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The summit comes as New Delhi faces mounting pressure from the US to halt purchases of Russian oil.
Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports, partly for purchasing Russian oil amid the continuing war.
Putin and Modi will also address a business forum as India and Russia aim to boost the current bilateral trade volume of $68.7 billion – nearly six times higher than pre-pandemic levels – to $100 billion.
The Russian president is accompanied by a large group of businesspeople.
Putin will be hosted by his Indian counterpart Murmu for a presidential dinner before his departure late Friday.