Official website of the President of Russia

Transcripts   /

President Vladimir Putin:

Mr Prime Minister, colleagues, let me once again wish you a warm welcome to Moscow.

At our one-on-one talks just now the Prime Minister and I discussed the most important aspects of our bilateral relations and international issues.

I would like to begin these enlarged-format talks by saying that we are happy overall with the rate at which our economic cooperation is growing, but I agree with the Prime Minister that the level of our cooperation in absolute figures still falls short of our countries’ real potential. Today we have the opportunity during these talks and during informal discussion to examine all the issues of mutual interest, especially in the area of economic cooperation.

You have the floor, Mr Prime Minister.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (as translated):

Your Excellency President Vladimir Putin, members of the Russian delegation,

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, for your generosity and your warm words, and for the hospitality you have shown my delegation and myself.

India and Russia have traditionally had a special relationship. A strategic partnership was established during Your Excellency’s first visit to India, and it has become a tradition to hold annual summits, which give our relations a unique and stable status in our foreign policy. The government and the people of India are grateful for your personal contribution to developing and strengthening the relations between our countries.