Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
On the Russian side, the meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office – Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Energy Sergei Tsivilev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, and Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, friends,
I am very pleased to meet with you again. This time, our meeting takes place ahead of the SCO summit, an organisation committed to deepening contacts between the countries of the Global South and East, promoting socioeconomic and cultural development in the region, and fostering a just and multipolar world.
I would also like to note with satisfaction that Russian-Indian relations continue to develop as a specially privileged strategic partnership. This, esteemed Prime Minister, is due in no small measure to the attention you personally devote to strengthening our bilateral ties, as well as to our business relations and the warm and friendly personal relationship between us, which is something I greatly appreciate.
Your Foreign Minister, Mr Jaishankar, recently conveyed your message during a meeting in Moscow, and I fully endorse everything contained therein.
Next year, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations and, of course, we are actively preparing for the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi in September.
Trade and economic cooperation is showing generally positive trends: last year saw a slight decline, but in the first six months of this year, bilateral trade has already grown by 2.6 percent.
A week ago, the Intergovernmental Commission met in Moscow and also delivered good results.
I would also like to say a few words about humanitarian cooperation. I want to highlight that India ranks among the leaders in the number of students enrolled in Russian universities: over the past ten years, this figure has grown sevenfold – a remarkable achievement – and now it stands at almost 40,000. Cultural festivals featuring Indian and Russian culture are held regularly, with the next one planned for 2027 in India.
Tourism between our countries is also on the rise, with growth in 2025 estimated at 16 percent. We coordinate our efforts closely within the UN, BRICS, the G20, and, of course, the SCO. Today we have an excellent opportunity to compare notes and chart the way forward for the further expansion of Russian-Indian relations.
Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi (retranslated): Your Excellency, my dear friend,
I am very pleased to meet with you again today. Your visit to India last year was highly successful and remains fresh in our memory. We spent many hours together during that visit. We also organised a business forum, which was attended by major Russian companies, and thanks to that forum, our business cooperation has gained new momentum.
I am very pleased that both our teams and both our countries are working diligently to implement the summit decisions. It is gratifying to note that our cooperation continues to reach new heights, serving the interests of both nations. In doing so, we have always prioritised our national interests, the interests of our countries and our citizens, and we will continue to be guided by this same principle in the future.
Your Excellency, we have regularly discussed the issue of Ukraine. During our last meeting, you shared detailed information with me and covered all aspects of the current situation. As you know, India supports all peace efforts in this area, and we will continue to do so. Every day that the war continues, humanity takes a step backwards; yet every step towards peace gives humanity real hope. We must move from endless war to the end of war, to the cessation of hostilities. And we must move in precisely this direction. This is crucial for all of humanity. We must resolve all problems through peaceful means; the entire world demands this. And this is India’s message, among others: India is the country of Gandhi, the country of Buddha – that is our message.
Today, Your Excellency, we will have the opportunity to discuss all of these issues. And a few days after this summit, India will host the BRICS summit. Naturally, all the citizens of our country are very much looking forward to your visit and the visit of your delegation. Your visit will strengthen our bilateral relations and further deepen dialogue and interaction within BRICS.
Thank you very much.
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