Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that trade between Russia and India has increased this year as the two countries continue to expand cooperation in energy, fertilizers, nuclear power and advanced technology.
Speaking at a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow, Putin said the two countries have maintained strong relations for decades, with cooperation continuing to expand across multiple sectors.
“Last year it declined slightly, but this year it is growing,” he said, attributing the increase in part to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal attention to the development of Russian-Indian relations.
The Russian president said Moscow was working to increase fertilizer supplies to India and its agricultural sector, while continuing cooperation in nuclear energy and high-tech industries.
Putin said he expected to meet Modi at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and that the two leaders could meet again later this year.
Jaishankar conveyed a message from Modi, saying the Indian prime minister was looking forward to the meeting. He added that Modi hoped Putin would attend the BRICS summit and participate in the annual meeting.
Jaishankar also said economic cooperation between the two countries had grown significantly.
“We have, indeed, strong, solid bilateral cooperation,” Jaishankar said.
