Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Russia on two-day official visit, on Tuesday expressed gratitude to President Vladimir Putin for the grand and warm welcome.
PM Modi, while speaking to Putin during a meeting, said, "Excellency and my friend, I express gratitude to you for this grand welcome and honour. We received an unprecedented victory in the elections in India. I also express gratitude for the greetings that you extended after that. In March, you too registered a grand victory in elections. I extend my greetings to you once again."
"For restoration of peace, India is ready to cooperate in all possible ways," PM Modi told Russian President Putin.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, PM Modi said, "Perhaps this is such a meeting that the focus of the entire world is on this visit of mine. The entire world is drawing out different meanings of this visit...Yesterday, you invited me to your residence and like a true friend we spent 4-5 hours together. We discussed several topics. I am happy that we openly discussed the issue of Ukraine in detail and we tried to listen and respectfully understand each other's opinions."
The Indian prime minister said he is confident that the bilateral ties with Russia will see further strengthening in coming years. He said that the cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector helped the world as well.
"There was a great challenge of fuel before the world. At a time like this, with your cooperation, we were able to save the common public from difficulties pertaining to petrol-diesel. Not only this, the world will have to accept that the agreement regarding fuel between India and Russia, indirectly gave market stability to the world in a way," Modi told the Russian President.
PM Modi said India is facing terrorism in the last 40-50 years and added that New Delhi can imagine how the pain is when Russian cities like Moscow or Dagestan face such terror incidents.
"In the last 40-50 years, India has been facing terrorism. We have been facing for 40 years, how horrible and disgusting terrorism is. So, when terror incidents occurred in Moscow, when terror incidents occurred in Dagestan, I can imagine how deep its pain would be. I strongly condemn all kinds of terrorism," he said.
Reacting to the meeting between the two leader, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, said, "His (PM Modi) in-depth analysis of our bilateral relations and the global situation is very important for us. We do attach very great importance to our bilateral cooperation in various fields, and we do share the point of view of the Prime Minister that to a great extent."
"Our cooperation contributes to global economic stability and prosperity, at the same time, Russia is doing its best to help India, Indian farmers, and Indian people with the supplies of necessary goods, of necessary energy sources and so on. It's a mutually beneficial cooperation and we hope that we will be able to continue broadening up this kind of interaction," Peskov added.
