PM Modi meets Putin, hails Russia's help in getting SCO membership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea coastal city Sochi for an informal summit.

"India and Russia have been friends for a long time. Thankful to President Putin for inviting me for an informal meeting at Sochi," said Modi.

The Prime Minister said that Russia played a major role in helping India get a permanent membership in SCO. "We are working together on International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and BRICS."

"In my political career also, Russia and you (Putin) are very significant...As the chief minister of Gujarat, it was my first meeting with a foreign leader. Hence, the beginning of my international relations started from you and Russia," Modi said.

"Since then it has been 18 years, I have got several opportunities to meet you, to deliberate upon issues, and try to take the relations of India and Russia forward," he added.

#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President #VladimirPutin in Russia's Sochi pic.twitter.com/LKy98uiPc7

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2018

It is Modi's second informal summit in as many months as he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jingpin in China's Wuhan in a similar format last month.

The issues on the table include economic impact on India and Russia in the wake of the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, the threat of terrorism and matters relating to upcoming SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) and BRICS summits.

The two leaders may also deliberate on extending Indo-Russia civil nuclear cooperation in third countries, possible areas for cooperation for the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project, India's engagement with five-nation Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

They said President Putin will be in India later this year for the annual summit during which key bilateral issues will be deliberated upon.

The annual summit talks between the top leadership of the two countries have been taking place alternately in Moscow and New Delhi since 2000.