India shares the optimistic attitude of Russian President Vladimir Putin reflected at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, Indian political scientist Nandan Unnikrishnan told Sputnik on Friday.
"When Putin started his speech, we, all those present in the audience, felt that it was all-encompassing as he talked about a lot of things. Then, during the question-and-answer session, he started to be more specific about certain problems in bilateral relations and touched on India," Unnikrishnan, who is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, said.
"He was very optimistic about our relations, about their future, and praised the role of our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] very highly, even comparing him to an icebreaker that sails through the ice. I, as an Indian, was flattered to listen to his words. I hope he's right, because he obviously has more information on these issues than I do."
27 October 2022, 14:35 GMT
On the eve of the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, President Putin said that Russia enjoys a special relationship with India that has been built on the foundation of very close ties and partnership for decades.
President Putin noted that India has a huge potential and that the country can be proud of the pace of its development.
He also noted the growing trade ties with India, in particular fertilizer supplies, which have increased by 7.6 times, and emphasized that the relationship between the two countries continues in the area of military and defense cooperation.
The Russian head of state also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for pursuing an independent foreign policy in the interests of his people, moving in the right direction like an "icebreaker."
Russia has risen to seventh place among India's top trading partners from 25th place last year, with bilateral trade surging to $18.2 billion in April-August.
New Delhi has vowed to expand its trading ties with Russia despite the West’s pressure, and the two countries may scale a new high in coking coal, timber, and diamond trade with the implementation of rupee-based settlement.
Last month, PM Modi stressed the importance of greater economic and commercial engagement between the two nations in line with the "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."