Bishkek, August 2026 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said India-Russia relations continue to deepen on the foundation of a privileged strategic partnership, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal attention and the strong rapport shared by the two leaders for further strengthening bilateral ties.
Putin made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian President said the relationship between the two countries had continued to develop steadily, supported by close political engagement and the personal relationship between the two leaders.
“I would also like to note with satisfaction that Russian-Indian relations continue to strengthen based on the principles of a privileged strategic partnership,” Putin said.
He said Modi’s personal focus on developing India-Russia relations had played an important role in this progress, while also highlighting the “very warm personal and friendly relations” between the two leaders.
Putin said the relationship had developed not only at the official and diplomatic level but also through their personal interaction, expressing gratitude to Modi for his role in strengthening bilateral ties.
The Russian President said he was pleased to meet Modi again, noting that the latest interaction was taking place on the eve of the SCO Summit. He described the organisation as an important platform working to deepen relations among countries of the Global South and East while promoting socio-economic and cultural development and supporting the emergence of a just and multipolar world.
Putin also referred to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent visit to Moscow, saying he fully agreed with the points raised during the discussions.
The Russian leader highlighted upcoming milestones in the bilateral relationship, noting that India and Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027.
He also said Russia was making preparations for the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September, underlining the importance Moscow attaches to cooperation with India through the grouping.
On the economic front, Putin said bilateral trade and economic cooperation were showing positive trends. Although trade turnover had declined slightly last year, he said it had recovered during the first half of the current year.
“In the first six months of this year, trade turnover has already increased by 2.6 per cent,” Putin said.
He also referred to the recent meeting of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission held in Moscow, saying the discussions had produced positive results and demonstrated continued momentum in bilateral economic cooperation.
The Russian President also highlighted the growing educational links between the two countries. He said India was among the leading countries in terms of the number of students studying in Russia.
According to Putin, the number of Indian students in Russia has increased sevenfold over the past decade and has now reached nearly 40,000.
He described the increase as a “remarkable achievement”, reflecting the expanding people-to-people and educational ties between India and Russia.
Putin’s remarks came as Modi and the Russian President held their latest high-level interaction against the backdrop of expanding cooperation in trade, energy, education and other strategic sectors.
The meeting also comes ahead of several important engagements between the two countries, including the BRICS Summit in New Delhi and the 80th anniversary of India-Russia diplomatic relations in 2027.
Team Maverick
