Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi states that Russia is Indian friend and strategic partner.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — India considers Russia as its "abiding" friend and strategic partner amid deepening of the cooperation between the two states, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday.
"Russia is an abiding friend. [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and I have held long conversations on the challenges that confront the world today. Our trusted and strategic partnership, especially in the field of defense has deepened," Modi said at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Raisina Dialogue forum in New Delhi.
He added that the bilateral cooperation in the spheres of energy and trade, as well as in the areas of science and technologies was very successful.
Russia and India have enjoyed mutually beneficial strategic relations, especially in the field of energy and defense and military cooperation, since the 1960s.
Besides, New Delhi and Moscow are developing partnership within the framework of numerous international organizations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group of developing economies.
The Raisina Dialogue is an international conference established in India in 2016. The event gather together experts in geopolitics and geoeconomics from different countries to discuss issues, such as India's relations with its neighbors, as well as with other countries in the world.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.