Extolling the virtues of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently showered accolades, hailing him as a "very wise man." Putin also lauded India's remarkable developmental strides under Modi's stewardship.
The Russian president recalled the robust and harmonious political relationship between Russia and India, emphasizing Modi's wisdom as a crucial factor in their collaboration.
"We share very good political relations with Prime Minister Modi, he is a very wise man. And India has been making very great strides in development under his leadership. This fully meets the interest of both India and Russia to work on this agenda," Putin was quoted as saying in a video shared by RT news platform
Putin's laudatory remarks emerged shortly after the G20 Summit held in India, where the New Delhi Declaration was adopted. Notably, this declaration called for the restoration of peace in the ongoing Ukraine conflict without assigning blame to Russia—a notable departure from the preceding Bali Declaration. Moscow warmly welcomed the New Delhi Declaration, hailing it as a "historic milestone" and commending India's proactive role in uniting the G20 nations from the Global South.
This public affirmation of goodwill between Putin and Modi builds upon earlier praises. In September 2023, President Putin had expressed admiration for PM Modi's initiatives, particularly his endorsement of the "Make in India" program. Addressing the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Putin recalled a time when domestically manufactured cars were a rarity in Russia, contrasting them with the opulent Mercedes and Audi imports of the 1990s. In this context, he praised India's emphasis on indigenous vehicle production and endorsed Modi's vision.
"You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India," he said.
"They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right," he added," he added.
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