President Vladimir Putin has praised India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia.

In a meeting with External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar at Kremlin, Putin said that he knows Modi wants peaceful resolution of the Ukraine issue and wished to share more information on that.

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“We know the stance of Prime Minister Modi and we mentioned that repeatedly on many occasions. Well, his attitude towards some complex developments, including the flashpoints like…in Ukraine,” he noted.

Putin said he knows Modi wants the issue resolved peacefully and that he wishes to deliver into that deeper when the Indian PM visits Russia.

“Many times, I advised him of how things have been going there and I know that he (PM Modi) is willing to do his utmost so that the issue is resolved by peaceful means. So, we probably will delve into that deeper now, and we will give additional information to you on that time,” Putin added.

Putin said that the two leaders have an open field of work and that he will be glad to see “dear friend” Modi paying a visit to Russia and discuss current issues.

“We will be very glad to see our dear friend his excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi to paying a visit to Russia.. so we will be able to discuss the current issues and talk on the prospects of Russian and Indian relations. we have a lot… an open field of work ahead of us,”. The Russian President said.

Responding to Putin’s invitation, Jaishankar said, “Certainly, he (PM Modi) looks forward to visiting Russia next year. And I’m sure that we will find a date that is mutually convenient from the political calendars of both countries.”

The EAM underscored the significant progress in India-Russia bilateral trade, surpassing USD 50 billion. He also emphasised the potential for further growth and the need to give the trade relationship a more sustainable character.

“I would like to highlight the progress we have and trade, which is in excess of a turnover of USD 50 million, and we believe that this is something whose potential is now only beginning to be visible. It is important that we give it a more sustainable character, and we discussed how we should do that,” said Jaishankar.