PM Modi dials Vladimir Putin, congratulates him on poll victory

NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his landslide victory in the presidential elections on Sunday, and expressed his sincere wishes for the well-being and prosperity of the Russian people.

In a “warm and friendly” and “detailed” telephone conversation, the Russian President, in turn, wished PM Modi a successful conduct of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India.

“Both sides noted with satisfaction that mutually beneficial ties in the trade, economic and investment fields, and in the fields of energy and transport are progressively and dynamically developing in line with a particularly privileged strategic partnership,” a Kremlin readout said on Wednesday.

An exchange of views between the two leaders was held on several issues on the international agenda, in particular the situation around Ukraine.

In addition, the mood for further coordination between Russia and India in multilateral formats, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS, was confirmed.

PM Modi is expected to travel to Russia for the BRICS Summit in Kazan from October 22 to 24.

Russia’s 2024 BRICS Chairmanship began on January 1 this year with the motto ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security’.

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