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PM Modi Meets Putin at SCO Summit in Bishkek, Discusses Bilateral Ties, Trade & Ukraine War Resolution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. The leaders discussed key sectors including defence, trade, infrastructure, and tourism. President Putin highlighted positive momentum in economic cooperation, noting that trade turnover grew by 2.6 percent in the first half of 2026. He also noted that Indian student numbers in Russia grew sevenfold to 40,000 and tourist flows increased by 16 percent, while discussing preparations for the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi. Addressing President Putin, Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India stands for peaceful conflict resolution, stating that every day spent in war pushes humanity backward and stressing the urgent need to move from endless war to the end of war through dialogue. Modi reiterated India's heritage as the land of Gandhi and Buddha, while also affirming that India looks forward to welcoming the Russian delegation for the upcoming BRICS summit.
