India and Russia Enhance Bilateral Relations

  The Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia emphasized the development of bilateral relations in various fields. Russia is seeking to expand ties with India after the conflict in Ukraine, which sparked widespread Western sanctions against Moscow. Until now, Russia is still the largest arms supplier to India, this country is the main buyer of Russian oil. Indian PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation ahead of the G20 Summit on Tuesday (29/8/2023) evening emphasized various cooperation, including space and strategic partnerships between the two countries.

In this telephone conversation, Vladimir Putin confirmed the news that he would not be able to attend the G20 meeting in New Delhi, due to the special conditions of his country, and introduced the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, as his country's representative at this meeting. The Indian Prime Minister's office also announced that Modi respected Putin's decision not to participate in the G20 meeting. This year's Group of 20 meeting will be held September 8-10 in New Delhi, hosted by India, which is the regular chair of the alliance.(PH)