By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation summit in Bishek told him that hostilities in Ukraine must end.
Both leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
They shared a warm hug as they met each other in Bishkek.
Modi shared a video of the high-level engagement on X “Always a delight to meet President Putin.”
He said that India supports all efforts towards peace, asserting that every day spent in war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm
“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. The land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha share a single message: the path of peace,” he said.
Modi also invited Putin to visit India for the BRICS Summit scheduled to be held next month. “Your visit will strengthen our bilateral relations and further reinforce dialogue and cooperation within the BRICS framework,” he said.
Putin highlighted the growing bilateral ties between India and Russia, adding that the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views and outline the future areas of cooperation.
“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. We regularly hold cultural festivals of India and Russia. We also have active mutual tourist flows, which have seen 16 per cent growth. We closely coordinate our efforts at 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,” Putin said.
Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Both leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral ties and reviewed recent developments in the West Asia region.
Modi reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
He also underlined the need for continued efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, and for safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce.
According to reports, the issue of seafarers was also discussed during the meeting.
