PM Modi invited President Putin to visit India later this year for the Annual Bilateral Summit
A day after his telephonic conversation with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sending a strong message to US President Donald Trump who has been punishing India with higher tariffs for trade ties with Russia, the two leaders also reviewed progress in the bilateral agenda and reaffirmed commitment to further deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, according to the PMO
President Putin briefed the PM on the latest developments concerning Ukraine. While thanking President Putin for his detailed assessment, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s consistent position for peaceful resolution of the conflict. PM Modi also invited President Putin to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, the PMO said
Trump on Wednesday announced an additional 25 percent tariff on India for purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties on India to 50 percent, among the highest for any country in the world. Amid ongoing tariff tensions, on Thursday Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also dialled PM Modi and both leaders committed to deepening strategic partnership, including in trade, energy, tech, defence, health and more.
Yesterday National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had called on Putin at the Kremlin.
Doval is in Moscow for talks on bilateral energy and defence ties and to prepare the ground for Putin’s visit to India later this year, according to reports.
India has already vowed to take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests” in response to Trump imposing additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, taking the total tariffs to 50 percent,
An official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs noted that the “United States has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia” while India made clear its position on these issues, “including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.”
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest,” it said, reiterating “these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
“India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests,” it added
