'This Is How Close Friends Meet': Indian Media on Informal Modi-Putin Summit

New Delhi (Sputnik) — As the much anticipated informal meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded in Sochi, Russia, on Monday, the Indian media and social media platforms went abuzz with congratulatory messages.  

"This is how close friends meet" the Indian Ministry of External Affairs boldly announced, along with pictures, after the meeting of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian president.

The ministry further tweeted that Indo-Russian ties are characterized by deep trust, mutual respect and immense goodwill. 

Footage of Prime Minister Modi's yacht ride with President Putin went viral in India on multiple web platforms and video-sharing apps, with television channels commenting on the "growing Indo-Russian relationship."

The state-run television channel Doordarshan, while broadcasting live the arrival of Narendra Modi back to India stated that the prime minister had returned back home with a "resolve to further strengthen ties between the two countries."

Indian lawmaker Anurag Thakurtweeted a picture captioned: "Embracing an old, trusted friend."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Sochi on Monday, a Russian coastal city on the Black Sea, for an informal summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The meeting came less than a month after he traveled to Wuhan, China, for a similar informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.