India said Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to further strengthen the special relationship between their countries, discussing areas such as energy and defense.
New Delhi is balancing diplomatic ties, maintaining strong relationships with the U.S., Gulf Arab states, Russia, Iran and Israel, while facing shipping and trade disruptions from the Ukraine and Iran wars.
The leaders met for the second time in two weeks. The meeting occurred on the eve of the annual BRICS leaders summit in the Indian capital, which Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and others are scheduled to attend. The bloc seeks to raise its profile even as its members are divided over the Iran war.
Modi and Putin "discussed conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region that have affected maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers," India's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Modi reiterated that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and that India stands ready to assist in peace efforts, the ministry added.
"The two leaders agreed to remain engaged to further strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries," the Foreign Ministry statement said.
India, along with China, is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, helping Moscow replenish its budget since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and sweeping Western sanctions.
India has resisted pressure to scale back trade, arguing its large population and economy need secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies. New Delhi has also said the Ukraine conflict can be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy, not by some countries stopping energy, metal or fertilizer trade with Russia.
Russia's share of Indian crude imports rose in 2023, reaching a record 51% in July, as disruptions to Middle East supplies increased Indian refiners' reliance on Russian oil. That share likely moderated in August as China stepped up Russian oil purchases, Indian media reported.
Friday, Modi said he presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, a revered classical text in India's Tamil language comprising 1,330 couplets on virtue, governance and love, attributed to the poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.
The two leaders also visited an India-Russia industrial fair showcasing Russian technology, AI, aviation, space, nuclear science, heavy engineering, mining, and banking companies.
India and Russia aim to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from nearly $70 billion in 2024-25.
