Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Russian President Vladimir Putin at Hyderabad House in the national capital ahead of the 21st annual India-Russia summit.
PM Modi lauded India-Russia relations and said, "Despite the challenges posed by COVID, there is no change in the pace of growth of India-Russia relations. Our special & privileged strategic partnership continues to become stronger."
"In the last few decades, the world witnessed many fundamental changes and different kinds of geopolitical equations emerged but the friendship of India and Russia remained constant", said PM Narendra Modi at meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We perceive India as a great power, a friendly nation, and a time-tested friend. The relations between our nations are growing and I am looking into the future", Russian President Vladimir Putin said in meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Delhi.
This is the first in-person meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin after their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brasilia in November 2019.
Putin decided to go ahead with the visit despite the emergence of a new COVID-19 strain Omicron which has affected the schedule of several bilateral and international summits.
The annual summit is a time for both leaders to recalibrate the long-standing relationship.
(This is a breaking story)
