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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms. Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to greet you once again.

India is our privileged strategic partner. Relations between our countries are built on long-standing traditions of friendship. This is fully reflected in our close and effective cooperation in economic and international affairs.

I am sincerely glad that in the course of the  Background information Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) SCO summit today, India signed a memorandum of obligations as a step toward its status as a member of this organisation. I am sure that the membership will happen in the very near future and that next year we will work with India within the framework of the SCO as a full member of this organisation. This will give us an opportunity to work even more closely with our Indian friends now also within the SCO.

This year India has taken over the  Background information BRICS BRICS presidency. We are counting very much on your leadership in the organisation and hope that India’s presidency will also help strengthen this widely recognised international organisation, whose influence is steadily growing.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (retranslated): Thank you very much, your excellency, for this opportunity to meet with you. Several days ago, we spoke by telephone. The last time I was in Russia, I remember your very warm hospitality.

I would like to thank you for your constructive support of India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Today, we launched the process of India’s acquiring full SCO membership.

I know that you have played a highly constructive role and I thank you for this. All of this goes to show what it means for India to have a true friend. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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