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Vladimir Putin invites PM Modi to Russia, wishes success to 'friends in India' for Lok Sabha polls

by India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms 28 Dec 2023, 06:32 am

Moscow/New: Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow and wished Indians "success" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the South Asian country, media reports said.

During a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the two leaders, Putin and Modi, were in "frequent contact".

"We will be glad to see our friend, Mr. Prime Minister Modi in Russia," Putin told Jaishankar during a meeting as quoted by India Today.

"We know the position of Prime Minister Modi and have talked about this more than once. I am referring to his position, his attitude to complicated processes, including hot spots, the situation in Ukraine.

"I have repeatedly informed him about the situation around this conflict. I know about his striving to resolve this problem through peaceful means," he added.

India has maintained a strong relationship with Russia despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Withstanding the pressure from the western world to camp against Moscow, New Delhi continued buying oil from Russia, which has shared a cordial relationship with India for decades.

In the course of his interaction with Jaishankar, Putin also wished "friends in India" success months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in India.

"I ask you to give him my best wishes and please tell him that we are waiting for him in Russia," Putin told Jaishankar and added, " Although I know that India next year will have a busy political schedule."

" We wish success to our friends in India," he added.

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which are expected to be held in summer next year, will give PM Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a chance to come to power for the third consecutive term.