NEW DELHI, November 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's December visit to India will be a landmark event in the development of relations between the two nations, Venkatesh Varma, former Indian ambassador to Russia, told the conference "India and Russia: Building Bridges Between the Communities through Language, Literature, Translation and Culture," held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Center for Russian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

"We are looking forward to President Putin's visit to India in December. This visit will be another notable milestone in the development of consistently reliable relations between our countries," he said. According to Varma, the reason for this strong friendship lies "not only in the good relations between the leaders, the governments, manufacturers, scientists and the armed forces, but, more importantly, in the compatibility of values, culture and civilizational approaches."

Santishri Dulipudi Pandit, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, expressed her admiration for the work of the Russian president. "I consider him the wisest leader in the modern world. While [US President Donald] Trump plays politics like poker and bluffs frequently, Putin plays chess, always being 15 steps ahead," she said.

The conference participants highlighted the crucial role of the Delhi Center for Russian Studies in strengthening Russian-Indian relations. Over six decades, the center has made a major contribution to spreading knowledge about Russia and promoting the Russian language and culture across the country. "The growing interest in Russian in India reflects the steady expansion of our professional, scientific, and economic ties. Indian specialists are increasingly collaborating with Russian partners in technology, energy, mechanical engineering, and healthcare. In this context, language is not merely a subject of study but a gateway to opportunities—a living tool of communication that transforms acquaintance into meaningful cooperation," said Denis Alipov, Russian ambassador to India.

"Our cooperation has made significant progress in the traditional fields of nuclear energy, the hydrocarbon industry, defense and education, and is steadily expanding, opening up new areas: shipbuilding, small modular reactors, Arctic research and digital technologies. Our work in the field of education is particularly important, including the mutual recognition of diplomas and academic qualifications, a step that will open even wider opportunities for students and researchers from both countries to study, teach and innovate together."

According to Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin will later announce the dates of Putin's visit to India. Earlier, Roscongress said that a Russian-Indian forum would be held in New Delhi on December 4-5.