The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Three months after making Russia the first foreign destination of his third term, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugged Russian President Vladimir Putin and told him that conflicts should be resolved solely through peaceful means.
Modi arrived in Kazan, a southwestern Russian city, on Tuesday (October 22) to participate in the 16th BRICS summit scheduled for the following day.
His first engagement was with his host Putin at the Tatarstan governor’s palace. After a handshake and embrace, they had a delegation-level bilateral meeting, which began with Putin’s remarks welcoming Modi.
“Large projects are consistently developing, and we welcome your decision to open a consulate general of India in Kazan. Expanding India’s diplomatic presence in Russia will contribute to the further development of bilateral relations,” he said.
In his response, Modi raised the Ukraine war. Stating that both India and Russia had been in “close contact” regarding the conflict, he reiterated that India believed that “the resolution of issues should be achieved through peaceful means only”.
“We fully support the establishment of peace and stability as soon as possible. In all our efforts, we give priority to humanity, and we are ready to provide any possible assistance in the future,” he said.
At a briefing on Tuesday night, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri stated that Modi “reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward to achieve resolution of the conflict”.
A month after his earlier visit to Russia, Modi travelled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“He briefed President Putin [on Tuesday] about his discussions with the Ukrainian leadership and emphasised that India was prepared to contribute to achieving peace in the region,” Misri noted.
Modi had already shared details of his visit to Kyiv with Putin during a phone call. National security adviser Ajit Doval had also personally briefed the Russian leader.
India is among a handful of major countries that have not directly criticised Russia for invading Ukraine. It has consistently abstained on resolutions condemning Moscow for the Ukraine war at various UN forums.
Misri stated that Modi reiterated that the “battlefield would not yield any solutions” and again called for direct engagement between the two parties.
“In this context, starting with the prime minister’s visit to Moscow in July this year and continuing with his visit to Kyiv in August, he has engaged with the leadership of both countries, as well as other regional powers and nations interested in the situation,” he said.
He mentioned that India was gauging the “possibility of finding a peaceful path to end the conflict and also looking for alternative approaches that may not currently be on the table or considered.”
“The prime minister also indicated his understanding of Russia’s perspectives on the current state of affairs,” added Misri.
The Indian side raised concerns about Indians working in the Russian army, whom Moscow in July had promised to discharge soon.
“This issue was discussed by both sides, and with the support of the Russian side, several Indian nationals have been able to return to India in recent months. We understand that the embassy is currently pursuing around 20 cases with the Russian side, and we hope that all these individuals can be released and repatriated to India very soon,” he said.
He stated that the India-Russia Intergovernmental Cooperation Operation Group on Defence Cooperation would be meeting soon.
“It was agreed that the Department of Atomic Energy and the Russian agency Rosatom would continue to coordinate to adhere to the mutually agreed schedule for the installation of the remaining units – units 3 to 6 – of the Kudankulam nuclear power project,” said Misri.
The Indian foreign secretary noted that the two sides “discussed the possibility of further cooperation in the financial sector”.
“Sustaining supply chains for the steady and regular sourcing of fertilisers and coal from Russia was also discussed, with President Putin promising assistance in this regard,” added Misri.
Additionally, they agreed that the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Technical, Economic and Cultural Cooperation would meet in New Delhi on November 12.