NEW DELHI: Amid renewed efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis, PM Narendra Modi reiterated before President Vladimir Putin that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving conflicts and India stood ready to assist in peace efforts. The leaders met on the margins of the BRICS summit – their third encounter in the past 9 months – and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in a range of areas including trade, defence, energy, mobility, critical minerals, fertilisers and people-to-people contacts.PM Modi and Putin had last met on August 31 in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO summit, where Modi stressed it was time to bring the “endless” Russia-Ukraine war to an end. In between the 2 leaders’ meetings, external affairs minister S Jaishankar travelled to Kyiv and discussed “approaches” to end the ongoing conflict with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Modi’s repeated counsel for peace to Putin is significant as India explores ideas and suggestions that could be developed for cessation of the conflict. For good measure, PM gifted to Putin a Russian translation of Tamil literary masterpiece Thirukkural that inspired Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy’s philosophy of non-violence. Modi said the classic carried the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders.The meeting on Friday also saw the PM raising the issue of the safety of Indian seafarers. Modi, who accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Russia this year for the annual leaders’ summit, said in a post on X that he was delighted to meet Putin in Delhi, less than two weeks after their meeting in Bishkek.“During today’s meeting we talked about: Closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030. Cooperation in areas like infrastructure, energy, technology, defence, culture and more. India’s efforts during our BRICS Presidency aimed at furthering the welfare of our planet,” said the PM, sharing details about the meeting.According to an Indian readout, like in Bishkek, they shared perspectives on key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers. The same formulation was used for the Bishkek meeting.“The two leaders agreed to remain engaged in an effort to strengthen further the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience in the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties,” said the Indian readout.
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The 2 sides also discussed the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing, reiterating their interest – as underlined by the leaders after the last annual summit in December 2025 – in joint exploration, processing and recycling technologies of critical minerals and rare earths.India and Russia are also looking to broaden cooperation in nuclear energy, including fuel cycle, life cycle support for operating Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Continued supply of fertilisers is an immediate priority for India and Putin said last month, in a meeting with Jaishankar, that Russia will increase export to meet the demands of Indian farmers.Modi and Putin also welcomed Russia’s International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM India, which was held for the first time in India from September 9 to 11, and underscored its importance in further expanding trade and industrial ties. The two leaders also visited the INNOPROM India exhibition and interacted with the participants, said the Indian statement.
