Russian President Vladimir Putin has heaped praise on India's economic trajectory and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership on Thursday, while also expressing confidence that bilateral trade between the two countries would reach $100 billion in the coming years.
Speaking at a high-profile forum in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Putin was unambiguous in his admiration while addressing questions about India's remarkable rise as a global economic power.
"India is one of the leading economies of the world that shows the highest rates of economic growth. This is not something that comes out of the blue. This is a result of the hard work that the government has been doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," he said.
Putin also outlined ambitious targets for Russia-India trade, signalling that Moscow views New Delhi as an indispensable economic partner.
"We hope that in the upcoming years we will reach 100 billion US dollars in mutual trade. It's about 58 or 60 billion US dollars, but we have all the foundations to work more actively and to reach more ambitious goals," he said.
The Russian President pointed to ongoing energy cooperation as a cornerstone of that relationship, specifically referencing the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. "We are not only talking about our plans in energy, including nuclear energy. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is now being constructed. New platforms will emerge in terms of hydrocarbons. We will be continuing to work together," Putin added.
When asked whether deepening US-India ties could strain the India-Russia relationship, Putin dismissed such concerns.
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"I don't think that this is the case. We are glad that India is developing its relations with all the countries. It is only natural that it develops its economy in accordance with its interests, with those countries that it deems necessary," he said.
New Delhi has long maintained its tradition of strategic autonomy, navigating relationships with both Washington and Moscow simultaneously.
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