PM Modi Extends Birthday Greetings to Putin, Anticipates India Visit

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, congratulating him on his 73rd birthday. Modi conveyed his best wishes for Putin's good health and continued success.

During the phone call, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" between India and Russia. They also reviewed the progress being made on their bilateral agenda.

PM Modi stated that he is looking forward to welcoming President Putin to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. Putin confirmed his visit would take place in early December.

Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi last week, Putin referred to PM Modi as his "friend" and Russia's "trustworthy partner". He also described Modi as a "balanced, wise" and "nationally oriented" leader.

The Russian President emphasized the long-standing trust between Moscow and New Delhi. When asked about potential US tariffs and sanctions related to Russia, Putin asserted that India would not tolerate being bullied and that PM Modi would not make decisions that compromised India's sovereignty. He suggested that any losses incurred by India due to US tariffs could be balanced by crude oil imports from Russia.

Earlier this month, India and Russia celebrated the 25th anniversary of their Declaration of Strategic Partnership. Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, noted the significant progress in cooperation across various sectors over the past quarter-century. He highlighted the numerous bilateral exchanges and the warm engagement between the leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. Alipov also mentioned that the upcoming summit in New Delhi would coincide with the 15th anniversary of elevating the partnership to a "special and privileged" level.

Alipov emphasized that cooperation between the two countries has flourished in areas like nuclear power, energy security, defense, space exploration, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. He also noted emerging collaborations in sectors such as small modular nuclear reactors, railways, shipbuilding, and Arctic research.

Putin's birthday is on October 7th, and he turned 73 years old. According to his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, Putin spent his birthday in a working mood, holding meetings and taking international calls.

India and Russia have maintained strong diplomatic ties for 78 years, with a multi-dimensional cooperation framework in place. Their "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" encompasses economic, energy, space, and educational cooperation. Bilateral trade reached a record high of $68.7 billion in FY 2024-25. Despite geopolitical pressures and concerns about Russia's alignment with China, both countries are finding new means of cooperation.