PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin talk energy, trade

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, December 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and said dialogue and diplomacy were the only solution to the conflict in Ukraine. They also touched on other areas of practical interaction such as mutual investment, energy, agriculture, transport and logistics.

At the request of PM Modi, Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia’s line on the Ukrainian direction, said the Russian readout of the conversation. In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward, said the Indian side. The Ministry of External Affairs said the conversation was a follow-up of their Samarkand meeting in September and among other key areas, touched energy cooperation, trade and investments, and defence and security cooperation.

The sixth telephonic conversation of the year between the two leaders took place against the backdrop of PM Modi not holding the annual summit with Putin this year due to “domestic commitments”, according to a senior Russian diplomat. The readouts of both countries did not specifically touch on the prospects of an in-person meeting soon, but said they agreed to remain in regular touch. India, like several nations from the Global South, has so far defied western pressure to cut off ties with Russia.

The leaders expressed satisfaction with the high level of bilateral cooperation and underscored the importance of close coordination within the framework of international organisations, including the Indian presidencies of the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The PM briefed Putin on India’s ongoing G20 presidency, highlighting its priority area.

India won’t give in to western pressure

• India has so far defied western pressure on Russia ties
• It hasn’t even condemned Russia’s ‘special military operations’ in Ukraine
• Continues purchasing oil and sourcing Russian crude at well below market prices

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