NEW DELHI, September 1. /TASS/. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China "excellent."
"I had an excellent meeting with President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. We discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilizers, space, security and culture. We exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Our special and privileged strategic partnership remains a vital pillar of regional and global stability," the Indian prime minister wrote on his X page in English and Russian.
According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, following the Russia-India talks in Tianjin, Modi and Putin "discussed bilateral cooperation, including in the economic, financial, and energy sectors and expressed satisfaction with the sustained growth in bilateral ties in these areas."
"The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues, including the latest developments concerning Ukraine. The prime minister reiterated his support for the recent initiatives that have been taken to address the conflict in Ukraine, and emphasized the need to expedite a cessation of the conflict, and find a durable peace settlement," the ministry added.
Putin and Modi reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between their countries. "The prime minister conveyed to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin that he was looking forward to receiving him in India for the 23rd annual summit later this year," the statement said.
Putin's talks with Modi began in an unusual format: the two leaders communicated one-on-one in Putin's Aurus car en route to the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Tianjin, which had temporarily become the residence of the Russian president. The motorcade pulled up to the hotel, and the accompanying delegations went inside while Putin and Modi continued their conversation in the car. This conversation lasted 50 minutes. Then, the leaders moved to the negotiating room where their delegations had been waiting all this time. Their conversation with the members of the delegations lasted about 50 minutes as well.