Positive impact of regular contacts evident in India-Russia strategic partnership: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday asserted that the "positive impact" of regular contacts is evident in the broader 'India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' which continues to benefit significantly from the ongoing interaction at various levels.

As a visiting parliamentary delegation led by Chairman of Russia's State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu also emphasised on paying special attention to closer interaction between women and youth parliamentarians of India and Russia.

"Welcoming the delegation to India, the President said that exchanges of this nature among public representatives not only foster stronger cooperation but also allow the partnership to remain contemporary and updated. She stated that the positive impact of regular contacts is also evident in the broader 'India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership', which continues to benefit significantly from the ongoing interaction at various levels," read a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan after the meeting.

The President noted that at the leadership level, there is regular interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The level of cooperation between our parliaments has also been very good. She said that mechanisms like the Inter-Parliamentary Commission have played an important role in facilitating cooperation. She emphasised on special attention to closer interaction between women and youth parliamentarians of India and Russia," the statement added.

The President shared with the delegation that she had inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair on Saturday, where Russia is the 'Focus Country'. She said that the fair gives Indian readers a wonderful opportunity to get to know the rich literary heritage of Russia and also urged for stronger engagements in cultural and artistic domains.

Earlier, the visiting delegation, which arrived in India late last night on an official visit aimed at bolstering bilateral relations, also visited both houses of the Indian Parliament.

Volodin called on Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Parliament, asserting that India is one of the key partners of Russia in Asia.

"We have special relations. They are developing on the principles of friendship, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said during his meeting with the Vice President.

The Chairman of the State Duma pointed out that the leaders of the States continue to make a "great contribution" to the development of the Russian-Indian dialogue.

"For our part, we must legislatively ensure the decisions taken by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Our relations are growing stronger, and we must ensure that the dynamics that exist at the executive level are also present in our work. It is important to develop interaction within the parliamentary dimension so that we contribute to the development of relations through our work,” Volodin underscored.

He stated that India remains one of the key partners of Russia in Asia.

"Over the past five years, bilateral trade has increased fivefold and continues to grow: from January to November 2024, it increased by 15 per cent. Due to this, our citizens and our countries benefit," the Chairman of the State Duma said.

The Vice President's office stated that discussions touched upon diverse facets of the multi-dimensional bilateral relationship between India and Russia.

"Both leaders underlined the significance of enhancing parliamentary ties which provide a solid foundation for the overall Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two nations," VP Dhankhar said in a post on X.

He noted the high level of India-Russia relations, as well as the significant role of parliamentarians in the process of maintaining them.

The Vice President recalled that over the past seven months, Prime Minister Modi has visited Russia twice which "reflects the importance of strategic partnership".

"Our relations are entering new trajectories; the level of interaction is increasing. Both our countries coordinate their positions on platforms such as the UN, BRICS, G20, SCO to address global issues," the Russian Embassy in India quoted the Vice President of India as saying during the meeting.

Volodin congratulated the people of India on the Republic Day and also invited members of the Rajya Sabha to visit Russia.

The Russian delegation accompanying the Duma Chairman includes Deputy Speaker Alexander Babakov, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky, Novye Lyudi (New People) faction leader Alexey Nechayev, Economic Policy Committee Chairman Maxim Topilin, Agrarian Committee Chairman Vladimir Kashin, and Culture Committee Chairwoman Olga Kazakova.