Russian President and Indian Prime Minister hold bilateral meeting in Samarkand

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Friday, 16 September, on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

The two leaders exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues, the expansion of the SCO and the further deepening of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation. Putin and Modi also addressed key aspects of partnership in the oil and gas and tourism sectors.

"Large-scale joint projects in the oil and gas sector and in the nuclear energy sector are being implemented on a consistent basis. Traditionally, Russians take great interest in India's rich history and ancient culture. In this regard, we suggest stepping up the negotiation process on a visa-free tourist travel agreement. We could also think about holding a Russia-India cross-year in 2024".

Vladimir Putin Russian President

Food security was an important topic of discussion at the meeting. The Russian and Indian leaders agreed that there is a lot of work to be done in this area, but it can already be stated that trade turnover between the two countries is growing, Russian food products and fertilisers are actively supplied to India, as well as to developing countries.

"Fertilizer supplies from Russia to India have increased by more than 8 times - not by any percentage, but more than 8 times. I hope this will help Indian agrarians solve the difficult tasks of providing food to the countries' population," Putin added.

Earlier during the talks in an extended format, Modi spoke about the SCO's contribution to the global economy and stressed the need to build trust among member states.

"SCO members are making invaluable contributions to economic recovery, accounting for about 30 percent of global GDP and 40 percent of global population, which is why India is advocating greater cooperation and trust among SCO member states," the Indian leader said.

Photo: kremlin.ru