"Trust-based, brotherly relations": Vladimir Putin on India-Russia ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the deep-seated relationship between India and Russia, characterizing it as "brotherly" and "trust-based" in every aspect during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

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We have had very good, trust-based, brotherly relations in all senses of the word. We know how talented the Indian people are, how well educated. Indians have great competencies, which have achieved world renown, especially in coding and in other fields...

Putin specifically praised the skills and expertise of the Indian people, especially in the fields of coding and technology. He noted the strong cooperation between the two nations, particularly in bolstering supplies to the Indian market and Asia in general. "I think our companies did the right thing and the Indian counterparts did the right thing when they decided to embark on this path of close cooperation, because right now we are trying to lend a helping hand and give our shoulder, increasing supplies to the Indian market and to Asia in general, and we certainly keep sharing our technological solutions," Putin stated.

The Russian president underscored Russia's unwavering commitment to its partners, asserting that cooperation with India is not influenced by the political environment. "Our cooperation with India, just like with all other partners of ours, is not subject to the political environment. We can't be dictated to not deliver that to India. Nobody can dictate to us and nobody would even try to do that... We will always stand true to commitments given to our partners, especially partners like India," he said.

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I think our companies did the right thing and the Indian counterparts did the right thing when they decided to embark on this path of close cooperation, because right now we are trying to lend a helping hand and give our shoulder, increasing supplies to the Indian market and to Asia in general, and we certainly keep sharing our technological solutions.

Putin also highlighted the enduring military and technical collaboration between India and Russia, a tradition dating back to Soviet times. He mentioned the joint development of the BrahMos missile and noted that a significant portion of India's armed forces is equipped with Russian military hardware. He further commented on India's sovereign decision-making under Prime Minister Modi, stating that any potential threats of sanctions would likely backfire and that India prioritizes its national interests when choosing products, considering applicability and price-quality ratio.

“

Our cooperation with India, just like with all other partners of ours, is not subject to the political environment. We can't be dictated to not deliver that to India. Nobody can dictate to us and nobody would even try to do that... We will always stand true to commitments given to our partners, especially partners like India...