Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for talks on bilateral ties and the conflict in Ukraine, urging the Russian leader to "move from endless war towards an end to the war."
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek and comes days before the Russian President is due to travel to India for the annual BRICS summit.
The two leaders were expected to discuss traditional areas of India-Russia cooperation, including defence, energy, trade and investment.
During the talks, Modi said India had consistently discussed the Ukraine conflict with Putin and supported efforts towards peace.
"We have consistently discussed the issue of Ukraine. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so," he said.
"Every day spent in war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm," he added.
Modi said the conflict should move towards a peaceful resolution.
"We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war. This is essential for the well-being of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message," he said.
"The land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha share a single message: the path of peace," Modi added.
The two leaders also discussed Putin's forthcoming visit to India for the BRICS summit.
"India is hosting the BRICS Summit in a few days, and all Indians are eager to welcome you and your delegation. Your visit will strengthen our bilateral relations and further reinforce dialogue and cooperation within the BRICS framework," Modi said.
He also praised the continuing expansion of India-Russia relations.
"Your visit to India last year was highly successful and truly memorable... It is a matter of deep satisfaction for us that our cooperation continues to scale new heights and that we are working together for the welfare of the people of both nations," Modi said.
"Moving forward with national interest as the paramount priority has been our shared approach, and this will remain our guiding principle in the future as well," he added.
Putin said the two countries' relations continued to strengthen on the basis of their "special and privileged partnership".
"I would like to note with satisfaction that Russian-Indian relations continue to strengthen on the basis of the principles of a special and privileged partnership," Putin said through a translator.
He said this was supported by Modi's attention to bilateral relations and the ties between the two countries.
Putin also highlighted growing educational, cultural and tourism links between India and Russia, saying the number of Indian students studying in Russia had increased sevenfold in recent years to 40,000.
He said the two countries also coordinated closely at the United Nations, BRICS, G20 and SCO. "I’d like to note with satisfaction that Russian-Indian relations continue to strengthen on the basis of the principles of a special and privileged partnership," Putin said.
The meeting provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss future cooperation as India prepares to host the BRICS summit.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
