India and Russia agreed on Monday to sign 28 agreements to further broaden their partnership and vowed to expand cooperation and coordination in dealing with major challenges like the threat of terrorism and the unfolding situation in Afghanistan.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla described the summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin as highly productive. He said that 28 agreements that included government-to-government pacts were concluded between the two sides in a number of areas.
Asked whether India raised the issue of the eastern Ladakh standoff, the foreign secretary said all concerns relating to India's security were discussed.
At a media briefing, Shringla said that Modi and Putin decided to continue close consultation and coordination between India and Russia on Afghanistan.
He said that both sides were clear that Afghan territory shouldn't be used for any acts of terrorism, and that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training or planning.
The foreign secretary said there was a discussion about cooperation in the strategic area of energy.
He said that there was a lot of emphasis on counter-terrorism and both sides were clear that this is an area of common interests. Shringla said the two sides stressed the need to fight cross-border terrorism.
He expressed concern over the developments in Afghanistan and said India and Russia will continue to coordinate on the major challenges facing the region.
We view India as a great power, a friendly nation and a time-tested friend. The relations between our countries are developing and we are looking into the future, Putin said.
Modi said Putin's second visit to the United States during the COVID 19 epidemic reflected his commitment to India-Russia ties and that the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two sides was getting stronger.
The friendship between India and Russia remained constant over the last few decades, as the world witnessed many fundamental changes and different kinds of geopolitical equations and variables.