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Taking part in the talks from the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov; Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk; Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin; Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov; Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov; Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin; Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov; Minister of Energy Sergei Tsivilev; Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev; Chairman of the Russian Fertiliser Producers Association Andrei Guryev; CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev; Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev; Chairman of the Management Board of Rosneft Igor Sechin; and Deputy Director General for International Cooperation of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos Sergei Savelyev.

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Beginning of Russian-Indian talks

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, dear friends, we are very pleased to meet with you.

It is symbolic that our meeting is taking place on the sidelines of the SCO summit – an organisation that brings together the efforts of the leaders of the Global South and East to build an architecture of equal and indivisible security across Eurasia.

Mr Prime Minister, dear friend,

On December 21, it will be 15 years since the adoption of the Joint Statement that marked the elevation of our relations to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership. It can be stated with confidence that our multifaceted Russian-Indian ties continue to develop actively on these principles.

We have established multi-level cooperation. Trade and economic ties as a whole are showing positive dynamics. Tourist exchanges are growing. We are working in close coordination on the international stage – at the UN, BRICS, the G20, and, of course, the SCO.

Today we have a valuable opportunity to discuss the main tasks for further developing our multifaceted bilateral cooperation across various fields.

Mr Prime Minister, dear friend,

Russia and India have maintained special friendly and trust-based relations for decades. This is the foundation for the future development of our ties. These relations are entirely above party politics and enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of our peoples.

Thank you.

Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi (retranslated): Your Excellency, dear friend, I am very glad to see you. Every time we meet, I feel a special connection. It gives us the opportunity to exchange views on a regular basis across a wide range of issues.

We are constantly in contact, and high-level meetings between our sides are held regularly. In December of this year, 1.4 billion Indians will eagerly welcome you to India for the 23rd annual summit between our countries.

Mr President, this demonstrates the depth and comprehensiveness of our special privileged strategic partnership. Even under the most difficult circumstances, India and Russia have always moved forward together, shoulder to shoulder. Our close cooperation matters not only for the peoples of our two countries but also for ensuring global peace, stability and prosperity.

Mr President, regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, we exchange views regularly. We welcome all recent efforts to establish peace and hope that all parties will approach this issue constructively. Ways must be found to bring the conflict to a swift end and to secure peace. This is the call of all humanity.

Your Excellency, dear friend, once again, thank you very much. I am very glad to see you.