Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Bishkek in the Kyrgyz Republic today. The discussions focused on key areas of India-Russia bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, energy and defence.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said it was a matter of deep satisfaction that cooperation between India and Russia continued to scale new heights.
On the Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Modi said, they must move from endless wars to ending wars, adding that India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said all Indians are eager to welcome President Putin to the BRICS Summit, which will be hosted in New Delhi in the coming days.
President Vladimir Putin showed his satisfaction that Indian-Russian relations continue to strengthen on the basis of the principles of a special and privileged partnership.
Prime Minister Modi also held bilateral meetings with leaders of Iran, Kyrgyz Republic and Armenia today. Mr Modi and Iran President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, during their meeting reviewed recent developments in the West Asia region and shared perspectives on the evolving situation. Mr Modi expressed concern at the escalation of tensions in the region and reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Calling for safeguarding the freedom of navigation and commerce, Mr Modi emphasized that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers must not be harmed under any circumstances.
Prime Minister Modi and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov reviewed the progress in bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Mr Modi and his Armenian counterpart, Nikol Pashinyan, during their talks, discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across various areas including defence, economic, pharma, science and technology, culture and education.
Earlier, on the first day of his visit to the Central Asian Country today, Prime Minister Modi interacted with the ‘Friends of India’ groups. Four delegations working with India in various fields were present on the occasion.
Tomorrow, on the final day of his visit to Kyrgyz Republic, Prime Minister Modi will address the 26th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Mr Modi reached Bishkek yesterday after concluding his successful visit to Uzbekistan.
