During the official talks held on 9 July, the two leaders, Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin, discussed the prospects of bilateral economic cooperation. This was announced at a special briefing on the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Russia by Foreign Secretary of India Vinay Kwatra.

The countries plan to increase exports of agricultural products, goods, and foodstuffs from various regions of Russia to India, as well as diversify exports towards increased supplies of deep-processed products.

There are plans to develop cooperation in other areas, including pharmaceuticals, fish farming, shipbuilding, logistics, timber processing, and international transport corridor projects. The realisation of the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) is expected to strengthen maritime connectivity between the Far East and Indian ports.

Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin agreed to make all efforts to increase trade turnover between the two countries to the US$100 billion mark by 2030. A detailed plan to realise the potential of the India-Russia strategic partnership is spelled out in a joint statement issued by New Delhi and Moscow.

“We had productive talks with President Putin in the Kremlin today. The talks discussed ways to diversify India-Russia cooperation in areas such as trade, security, agriculture, technology, and innovation. We attached great importance to transport accessibility and cultural exchange,” Modi wrote on his microblog.

A significant topic of the talks between the two leaders was the countries’ mutual integration within the framework of various international organisations.

“The two leaders also reviewed the status of bilateral engagement in multilateral groupings, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the United Nations,” said Vinay Kwatra.

Responding to a TV BRICS question at the press conference on the criteria for accepting new countries into the association, Kwatra said that “the last round of BRICS expansion took place at the Johannesburg Summit. And currently, the BRICS senior officials and Sherpas are busy discussing the guidelines and different models that could be considered by the BRICS leader for its future expansion. Following this, the group will consider candidates who want to become part of the expanded BRICS format.”

It is reported that at the finale of the talks, Narendra Modi thanked Vladimir Putin for his hospitality and invited him to visit India in 2025 to attend the 23rd Russian-Indian summit.

Photo: ANI