A very wise man: Russian President Vladimir Putin praises PM Modi

MOSCOW: Heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin called him a "very wise man", adding that India is making great strides in development under his leadership, Russia-based media RT reported.

Putin also expressed hope for further cooperation between Russia and India in the field of financial security and the fight against cybercrime.

According to a video shared by RT news platform, Putin said during an event, "We share very good political relations with Prime Minister Modi, he is a very wise man. And India has been making very great strides in development under his leadership. This fully meets the interest of both India and Russia to work on this agenda". His remarks come close on the heels of the adoption New Delhi Declaration at the G20 Summit in India.

Significantly, the declaration called for establishing peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine but didn't put the blame on Russia, marking a sharp drift from the previous Bali Declaration. The New Delhi Declaration was welcomed by Moscow, which termed it a "milestone" and also praised the active role of the Indian presidency in "consolidating" the G20 countries from the Global South.

Last month, too, President Putin had praised PM Modi stating he was doing the "right thing" in promoting the Make in India programme. In an address at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Putin said, "You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India."

"They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right," he added.