Putin hails India's "remarkable progress" on 80th Independence Day

According to a post on the official Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Putin said, "Your country is making remarkable progress in the economic, social, scientific and technological spheres, and rightfully commands considerable authority in the international arena."

Highlighting bilateral ties, Putin said, "Russia-India relations are developing successfully in the spirit of a particularly privileged strategic partnership."

"Moscow and New Delhi are engaged in fruitful cooperation across a wide range of areas and coordinate closely within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, and other multilateral institutions," he said.

Putin expressed confidence that the two countries would continue to strengthen their partnership.

"I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to comprehensively strengthen the constructive Russia-India partnership for the benefit of our friendly peoples and in the interests of enhancing international security and stability," he said.

His greetings came as India and Russia are engaged in active deliberations to deepen bilateral cooperation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a vital Arctic maritime corridor that Moscow is seeking to develop into a major trade link between Europe and Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on Friday.

Addressing a weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that enhancing logistics linkages remains central to India's "multi-faceted cooperation" with Russia, adding that discussions on the Northern Sea Route are already underway.

Jaiswal stated, "With Russia, we have a multi-faceted cooperation of which connectivity is an important part. We have discussions with them on this particular issue as well. So this is something that is ongoing."

For India, collaboration on the Northern Sea Route presents a key strategic opportunity to deepen trade and connectivity with Russia, complementing existing connectivity options such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route.

Highlighting India's long-term vision for maritime and Arctic collaboration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously stated that both nations would work with "renewed energy" on connectivity initiatives, while also focusing on training Indian sailors for Arctic navigation.

Beyond its commercial utility for trade and energy supplies, the resource-rich Arctic corridor occupies a pivotal position in regional development, with growing commercial adoption and Asian market participation cementing the NSR as a vital global shipping channel. (ANI)