PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discuss cooperation in areas of energy, trade

In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Modi reiterated to Putin his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over phone and reviewed bilateral energy partnership, trade and investment as well as defence and security cooperation on Friday.

Modi also reiterated during his call with Putin that dialogue and diplomacy were the only way forward to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to an official press-release issued in New Delhi.

It is, however, not clear if the Prime Minister once again told the Russian President that it was not the era of war. The press-release issued after the phone-call had no mention about the reiteration of the message, which Modi had delivered to Putin during a bilateral meeting on the sideline of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 16.

The two leaders reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including energy cooperation, trade and investments, defence and security cooperation, and other key areas, according to the press-release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi.

They discussed in detail the prospects for practical interaction in such areas as mutual investment, energy, agriculture, transport and logistics, a spokesperson of the Government of Russia said in Moscow.

They also underscored the importance of continuing close coordination within the framework of international organisations, including in the context of the Indian presidency in the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. “At the request of Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia's line on the Ukrainian direction,” Dmitry Pescov, the spokesperson of the President of Russia, said.

New Delhi over the past few months has been drawing flak from the US and the other western nations, not only for refusing to join them in condemning Russia for its aggression against Ukraine – primarily in view of its decades-old strategic partnership with and its dependence on the former Soviet Union nation for military hardware. India is also circumventing sanctions imposed by the US and other western nations on Russia and continuing bilateral trade. It has also increased oil and coal imports from Russia.

Modi’s “it-is-not-the-era-of-war” appeal to Putin, however, was hailed by the media and the governments in the western nations. It found resonance in the joint communiqué, which the G20 adopted at the end of its 17th summit at Bali in Indonesia last month. Putin did not attend the summit in Bali and instead sent his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to represent Russia in the G20 summit, which was overshadowed by the escalating tension between the western nations and the former Soviet Union republic.

The Prime Minister briefed Russian President on India’s ongoing presidency of the G20, highlighting its key priorities. He also expressed hope for both countries working together during India’s chairship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Modi will host the next G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023 and India hopes the President of Russia would attend the conclave. He will also host the SCO summit in New Delhi next year.

The year 2022, however, is set to end without a formal summit between Modi and Putin.

Modi had hosted Putin in New Delhi on December 6 last year for the 21st India-Russia annual summit. The Prime Minister was expected to visit Moscow this year for the 22nd summit with the Russian President this year. The two sides could not schedule the summit though.

They, however, had several phone-calls, particularly after Russia launched its special military operations in Ukraine, apart from the bilateral meeting in Uzbekistan.