Covid or conflict, India-Russia friendship remain unscathed: PM Modi tells Putin

Moscow: Emphasising that the last five years have been quite challenging for the world and the entire humankind considering the Covid pandemic and the uncertain geopolitical situation due to various conflicts thereafter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed India-Russia ties, which he asserted, have remained unaffected even during such turmoil.

"Food to fuel and fertiliser, the world underwent a huge crisis. However, thanks to the India-Russia friendship, I did not let the farmers of my country face any kind of uncertainty. We remain committed to the interest of farmers and hope to increase partnership with Russia to help them further," said PM Modi while making his opening remarks during the bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted that he has remained in touch with the Russian President for nearly 25 years now and met him on 17 occasions in the last 10 years.

"The fact that this is my sixth visit to Russia shows how the partnership between the two countries has deepened over the years," he said.

Raising the issue of terrorism, PM Modi mentioned the recent terrorist attacks in Dagestan and Moscow's Crocus City Hall.

"India has been facing the issue of terrorism for the last 40-50 years. We know how horrible it can really be. So, when the terror attacks took place in Moscow and in Dagestan, I could well imagine the pain it would have caused. India strongly condemns all kinds of terrorism," Prime Minister Modi mentioned on the second and final day of his trip to Moscow.

The Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia has advanced enormously during PM Modi's term over the past 10 years, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. A lot has changed in the region since then, especially after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

However, the India-Russia Special and Privileged Partnership has remained resilient in the wake of multiple geopolitical challenges that the world has been facing.

New Delhi has maintained a steady relationship with Moscow even as PM Modi repeatedly asserted that no solution can ever arrive at the cost of human lives and that escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one's interest. "Be it war, conflicts or terror attacks, anyone who believes in humanity is moved and pained when lives are lost. More so when innocent children are murdered, to see them dying is heart-wrenching and unimaginable. I held a detailed discussion on this with you over this," said the Prime Minister without specifically mentioning Monday's bombing of a children's hospital in Ukraine's capital.