Modi and Putin have agreed to strengthen India-Russia ties, says Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have agreed to deepen bilateral ties during talks in New Delhi ahead of a BRICS summit.

Source: Reuters

Details: The talks took place ahead of a BRICS summit due to be attended by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said Modi and Putin had exchanged assessments of conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region that affect commercial shipping and the safety of Indian sailors.

"The two leaders ​agreed to remain engaged ⁠in an effort to strengthen further the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries," it noted.

The two countries also announced plans to increase bilateral trade from nearly US$70 billion in 2024-2025 to US$100 billion by 2030.

Speaking at a BRICS business forum event, Putin complained about pressure from Western countries.

"We have always been told that competition is a sacred cow, something that must not be touched. Yet, unfortunately, today your Western competitors are trying by any means necessary to regain their former leadership," he said.

He added that the confrontation has escalated to "direct physical attacks or the destruction of industrial and logistical facilities, pipelines, and so forth", the blocking of vessels and threats to impose secondary sanctions.

Kirill Dmitriev, one of Putin's envoys, said BRICS is evolving from a geopolitical grouping into a more practical economic partnership focused on developing infrastructure, business and payment systems.

Meanwhile, finance ministers and central bank heads from BRICS member states expressed concern over unilateral trade restrictions and tariffs that contravene World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

India, along with China, remains one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, providing Moscow with revenue to finance its war against Ukraine.

Background:

• In July 2024, Modi visited Moscow to meet Putin. On the same day, Russia launched a large-scale missile strike on the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialised Hospital in Kyiv.
• In October 2024, the Indian leader attended the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The bloc's growing strength at the time angered then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, who threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries that continued to buy Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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