Speeches by the President of India and the President of Russia at the state reception
President of India Droupadi Murmu (retranslated): Your Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation,
Mr Vice President,
Mr Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an immense pleasure for me to welcome His Excellency Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and members of his delegation.
This evening’s gathering is indeed a momentous occasion, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Indian-Russian strategic partnership. Its foundation stone was laid personally by His Excellency President Putin during his visit to India in October 2000, and this partnership was elevated to the status of a special privileged strategic partnership in 2010.
The partnership between India and Russia is based on a shared commitment to peace, stability, and mutual socioeconomic and technological development. This year has been particularly fruitful for our multifaceted partnership. Significant progress has been achieved across all spheres – high-level political engagements, trade, economy, defence, civilian nuclear energy, outer space, science, technology, education, culture, and people-to-people ties.
The joint communiqué of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit reflects the unique nature of our bond and provides a comprehensive framework for the further deepening of our bilateral relations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The dialogue between our two cultures spans centuries, from Russian travellers who visited India and Indian merchants who journeyed to Russia, to the inspiring correspondence between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy, and our mutual admiration for each other’s rich cultural, literary, and artistic heritage.
I am confident that our friends from Russia will recognise several familiar flavours and melodies of our shared cultural legacy during tonight’s dinner. The spirit of the confluence of two great rivers – the Ganges and the Volga – continues to thrive in our time-tested friendship and will guide our cooperation in all spheres.
Your Excellency, tonight is a celebration of the friendship between our two nations, a friendship which has remained steadfast over the years and is destined to flourish for many more to come.
Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to extend our warm wishes for the good health of His Excellency President Vladimir Putin, continued progress and prosperity for the Russian people, and enduring friendship between India and Russia.
Thank you.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Madam President, Mr Prime Minister, friends,
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to President of the Republic of India Droupadi Murmu, and, of course, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as to all our Indian colleagues for the exceptionally warm and cordial welcome, for the constructive and open dialogue, and for the fruitful joint work during our state visit.
We sincerely treasure our strong friendship with India. The foundation of this relationship was laid in the middle of the last century, when our country actively supported India’s struggle for national liberation.
Soviet specialists played an important role in shaping the future of the Indian people, assisting in the construction of major industrial, energy, and infrastructure facilities, and contributing to the development of the space programme.
It was 15 years ago, in December, that we adopted a joint statement elevating our interstate relations to a new, even more advanced level of a special and privileged strategic partnership. This strategic partnership continues to develop successfully based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration for each other’s interests, consistently gaining new, mutually beneficial content.
Our talks with our Indian friends yesterday and today were held in a truly open and constructive atmosphere.
The final policy statement we adopted outlines ambitious plans for future cooperation in politics and security, economy and finance, transport, energy, education, and culture.
I am confident that this document, along with other significant agreements reached, will give a strong impetus to the development of our bilateral ties. Equally important is the fact that Russia and India are working together, shoulder to shoulder, to build a just, multipolar world order.
We firmly believe that such an order must be based on the central role of the United Nations and on a balanced alignment of interests among all members of the international community.
Together with our Indian friends, we coordinate our work within BRICS, which India will chair in 2026, as well as in other multilateral formats.
Overall, we work closely together to foster an atmosphere of security, trust, and peaceful cooperation across the vast Eurasian region: between our countries, among the peoples of this region, and throughout the world.
I know there is a saying in India: “Together we go, together we grow.” These words accurately reflect the spirit, nature, and traditions of Russian-Indian relations. We will do everything to ensure that our strategic partnership continues to strengthen and evolve for the benefit of our two nations.
Once again, I would like to express confidence that we will continue to advance our friendship and our special and privileged partnership, and that our nations will enjoy further prosperity. I wish the friendly people of India wellbeing, and I wish Madam President and Mr Prime Minister good health and every success for the benefit of India and its people.