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‘Putin and Modi Bromance’ and the Time-Tested Friendship Between India & Russia

8 months ago
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Modi Putin bromance

While speaking at the Russia Calling Investment Forum in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he cannot be intimidated or forced to take any decisions that are contrary to India’s interests.

The statements reflect the bonhomie intact between India and Russia contrary to the friction seen when just last week when the USA charged with linking an Indian official to the murder plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Putin spoke of PM Modi’s tough posturing and stance when it comes to defending the national interests.

“I cannot imagine that Modi could be intimidated, or forced to take any actions, steps, and decisions that are contrary to the national interests of India and the Indian people. And there is such pressure, I know. By the way, he and I never even talked about this. I just look at what is happening from the outside, and sometimes, to be honest, I’m even surprised at his tough position on defending the national interests of the Indian state,” the Russian President’s Office quoted him as saying at the Forum. Putin underlined the bilateral ties between the two countries and said that the relations between the nations have been “developing progressively” in all directions and asserted that PM Modi’s”policy” is the primary “guarantor” of ties between their two nations.

‘Relationship Between the Nations Depends on Modi – Putin Relations ‘ – said Ex-Deputy National Security of India & Ambassador. Pankaj Saran spoke on the sidelines of the Conference marking the 70th Anniversary of the First Trade Agreement between the countries and the opening of the Trade Representation of Russia in India

Putin said, “I would like to say that relations between Russia and India are developing progressively in all directions, and the main guarantor of this is the policy pursued by Prime Minister Mr. Modi. He belongs precisely to that cohort of world political figures about whom I spoke without naming names.” Earlier this year, the Russian President praised PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and added that Russia can draw inspiration from the success stories of its partners, such as India, to promote the growth of its own domestic industries.

India-Russia ties amidst the war in Ukraine:

Speaking of the trade turnover between the two countries, Putin said, “Last year it was 35 billion dollars per year, and in the first half of this year it was already 33.5 billion. That is, the growth will be significant. Yes, we all understand that, to a large extent, India receives preferences due to discounts on Russian energy resources. Well, he’s actually doing the right thing.”

“If I were them, I would also do the same if the situation develops this way. They make money, and rightly so. But, of course, this is not enough. We have much more opportunities. In the global ranking of the world’s economies by purchasing power parity and by economic volume, India ranks third in this list and Russia fifth,” he added.

“Let me remind you, China, the United States, India, Japan, Russia. The three largest economies in the world by purchasing power parity. Of course, if our trade turnover with China this year is close to 200 billion, it would be right for us to increase it with India,” the Russian President further noted.

It is important to note that, as of August 2023, Russia has been exporting over 60 million barrels of crude oil to India per month, almost 18 months since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. India constitutes nearly a quarter of Russia’s total exports in both crude and refined oil.

Custom records from Russia spanning from December 2022 to the end of June 2023 reveal that the average price of crude oil dispatched to India stands at approximately $50 per barrel, which is below the European Union’s capped price of $60 per barrel.

It can be highlighted here that, New Delhi has strongly defended its purchase of Russian oil when accused by the West of ‘funding the war in Ukraine’. 

“Europe has managed to reduce its imports while doing it in a manner that is comfortable. If at a (per capita income) of €60,000, you are so caring about your population, I have a population of $2,000 per capita income. I also need energy, and I am not in a position to pay high prices for oil,” India’s foreign minister Dr S. Jaishankar said in January 2023.

Earlier in October this year, Putin referred to PM Modi as a “very wise man” Putin had lauded Narendra Modi for his leadership capabilities and highlighted Russia and India sharing decades old tradition of friendship and cooperation.

Also Read: In An Unusual Move, Putin Undertakes A Rare Journey To The Middle East

“We share very good political relations with Prime Minister Modi, he is a very wise man. And India has been making great strides in its development under his leadership. This fully meets the interest of both India and Russia to work on this agenda,” he said.

It is pertinent to note that apart from the trade ties, defence cooperation is an important pillar of the India-Russia strategic partnership and the other areas of cooperation includes space and civil-nuclear cooperation.

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