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Following a conversation held in a restricted format, delegation members joined the talks to discuss key aspects of further developing the special privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India, as well as current international and regional matters.

Following the talks, the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of India adopted the Joint Statement Russia – India: Reliable Partnership in a Changing World. In addition, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi attended a ceremony held to exchange documents signed during the Russian President’s official visit to India.

The signed documents are related to the consultations held by the Russian and Indian foreign ministries, joint operations in the framework of a manned space programme, cooperation in nuclear energy, joint projects in mineral fertilisers, cooperation in transport training and interaction in the economy, railway transport and small businesses.

Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi also made statements for the press.

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Beginning of Russian-Indian talks in an expanded format

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi (retranslated): Your Excellency, once again I welcome you and your high-level delegation that accompanies you to India.

India is proud of its historical friendship with Russia. Last year, we marked the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. That said, relations between our civilisations and cultures date back centuries.

The special privileged partnership between India and Russia is important not only for our two countries, but for the entire multipolar world. The relations between India and Russia span culture, security and prosperity. We cooperate in a number of spheres, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to host the 19^th annual summit meeting between our countries.

We had very useful talks on security, as well as other strategic matters, so now we can discuss cooperation in the economy and other spheres. Once again, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your delegation.

Your Excellency, I am also pleased to note that following up on our meeting in Johannesburg we will hold today the first business summit with business leaders. I think that this is a very worthy undertaking.

I am also pleased to note that India’s cumulative investment in Russia reached $18 billion by 2017, while Russia invested more than 30 billion euros in India. Indian companies shared their experience and expertise with Russian companies, and vice versa, in energy, healthcare and other areas.

Russia started LNG supplies to India, and a deal has been signed for 23 years of deliveries. This agreement creates new opportunities for the future and will benefit both countries, helping meet the demand for energy in a new India.

I would also like to note that Moscow hosted a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on September 14, during which delegations reviewed our cooperation and adopted a protocol, laying the foundation for creating a strategic partnership forum. Our economic development ministries will sign a memorandum of understanding today, and the first meeting of this kind is to take place in Russia this year.

We believe in the importance of this platform, since it will bring together prominent business leaders, which could help expand bilateral trade. In addition, this will also be an opportunity to explore new avenues for cooperation.

We are already running a bit late, but let me tell you that the time we spent on these talks was not wasted. We had a very meaningful conversation, so now we can have lunch, during which we can discuss matters of mutual interest for our countries.

Thank you once again for the honour to receive you and your delegation here. Thank you very much for coming to India.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, friends, colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to be here in India with our friends. India is our good friend, and we share a special relationship with this country. We call it a special privileged strategic partnership, marked by mutual respect, trust and a constructive dialogue.

A number of joint projects are underway in industrial cooperation, space, aviation, the nuclear and oil and gas industries, and military technical cooperation.

This visit was preceded by serious preparations by our ministries, agencies and businesses, and a solid package of bilateral documents was approved. This includes the energy, nuclear and space sectors, as well as investment and banking. We will also adopt a comprehensive joint statement.

Political dialogue has been gaining momentum. In fact, this is our third meeting over the past six months, and we will meet again with you, Mr Prime Minister, at the East-Asia Summit and the Group of Twenty before the end of 2018. I would like to once again invite you to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, in September 2019 as its main guest.

Our two countries play a major role on the international arena in terms of sustaining global world order. We work in close coordination within the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and the G20. Russia and India also work together on building a new architecture of security and equal cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region.

We attach great importance to inter-regional and humanitarian cooperation between our countries. We have already discussed all these topics, and this conversation will continue as part of our current agenda.

Thank you very much for your invitation.

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