NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move towards "endless war to end of war", saying every day of conflict "pushes humanity back" and calling for all outstanding issues to be resolved peacefully.
Meeting Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan's capital Bishkek, Modi said India supports every effort aimed at peace.
"Every day spent in the war pushes humanity back. And every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm," Modi told Putin.
"We will have to move from endless war to end of war, which is very important for the well-being of humanity. As soon as possible, all issues will be resolved peacefully," he said.
Framing India's position as a message of peace, Modi added: "This is the call of humanity. This is the message of India. This is the message of the land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha."
The remarks came as the two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and discussed the Ukraine conflict, with Modi noting that the issue had featured prominently in their previous meetings.
"Excellency, we have always discussed Ukraine. Last time, when we met, you told me about all the topics in detail. As you know, India supports all efforts for peace and will continue to do so in the future," Modi said.
Modi also pointed to the upcoming BRICS summit that India is set to host, saying Putin would have an opportunity to discuss issues related to peace and global cooperation.
"Today, you will have the opportunity to discuss all these issues. After a few days, India is organizing the BRICS Summit," Modi said, adding that Putin's visit would strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation within BRICS.
Putin highlighted the expanding scope of India-Russia relations, pointing to growth in trade, tourism, education, multilateral cooperation and the sharp rise in the number of Indian students studying in Russia.
"India is among the top countries in terms of the number of students studying in Russia. In recent years, this figure has grown sevenfold and now amounts to 40,000 students," Putin said.
He also pointed to growing people-to-people contacts, saying the two countries regularly organise cultural festivals and have witnessed an increase in mutual tourism.
"We also have active mutual tourist flows, which have seen 16% growth," Putin said.
Putin said India and Russia were also closely coordinating their positions at major multilateral forums, including the United Nations, BRICS, the G20 and the SCO.
"Today, we have a good chance to compare our notes and outline future cooperation when it comes to the development of Russian-Indian relations," he said.
Modi said the two sides had made progress in expanding economic ties since Putin's previous visit to India, recalling the success of the bilateral business forum.
"Last year, your trip to India was very successful and memorable. We spent many hours together. The business forum was very successful," Modi said and added that the two countries were working to further expand economic cooperation while keeping their respective national interests at the centre of their engagement.
"Keeping the national interest at the top, moving forward is the goal of both of us. And this will be our main mantra in the future," Modi said.
Modi and Putin also travelled together to attend the inauguration of the Nomad Games, underscoring the personal rapport between the two leaders even as their talks addressed major geopolitical and global issues.