Russian Prez Presents Modi with Gandhi’s Note, Antic Sword

Indian officials have said that Putin and Modi would discuss more arms purchases for India and joint manufacturing projects.

He added that the Kremlin expected Putin and Modi to ease some visa requirements and oversee the signing of agreements by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom and railway monopoly Russian Railways, without giving details.

Today’s meeting was Modi’s second summit with Putin who had travelled to New Delhi previous year for the 15th India-Russia Summit.

“We are making progress on 12 Russian nuclear reactors at two sites”.

“Russia regards India as a deserving and strong candidate that can bring an independent and responsible approach within the UN Security Council and reaffirms its strong support to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed UNSC”, it said. Yesterday, Putin presented Indian PM with a page from the diary of Mahatma Gandhi and an 18th century Indian sword.

The two sides have been working on a number of defence deals and it is understood to have figured in the talks.

“Our meetings give us the opportunity to quickly develop our relations and make decisions fast”.

Modi has provided a huge impetus to India’s engagement with several partners, including the US, Japan, Europe, Africa and several neighbouring countries. “India has now been successful in convincing the world that it is the demand of time that all forces which believe in humanism should join hands to root out terrorism”, he said. Russian Federation is looking to India, China and East Asia markets as it faces western sanctions over its role in Ukraine.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R-Central) reviews the guards of honor of Russia on the Vnukovo airport in Moscow, Russia, on December 23, 2015.

On the occasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said India is a great power carrying out a balanced and responsible foreign policy. “Trade ties between India and Russian Federation can increase even further, to benefit not only our two nations but also the world”. This should be used to open up new avenues of economic investment and boost bilateral annual trade to much beyond the $30 billion target over the next decade.

In this context, they welcomed the agreement reached on liberalization of the travel regime for the businessmen of both the countries and called for its effective implementation. Now, for the first time, private deals were being struck in front of leaders from the two countries, who egged on the signatories with claps.

President Putin and I are moving creatively in expanding our economic relations. Russian Federation has already built in a nuclear reactor in Tamil Nadu, and a year ago it announced that it would help India build at least 10 more nuclear reactors.