New Delhi, Dec 5 (NationPress) In a significant diplomatic gesture, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his dedicated attempts to mediate the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Upon his arrival in New Delhi on Thursday evening, Putin remarked on their "very informative and useful conversation".

In his opening statements before the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit at Hyderabad House, he said, "Thank you very much for the invitation and for yesterday's very good evening, with our friendly yet at the same time informative and very useful conversation. We had the opportunity, and I was given the opportunity, to talk in detail about what is happening specifically in the Ukrainian sphere and what we are doing together with several other partners, including the United States, to address the issue of a possible peaceful resolution to this crisis," highlighting the importance of dialogue.

The Russian leader added, "Thank you for your attention. And, thank you for your efforts to resolve this situation," while seated next to Modi.

Putin emphasized the deep-rooted historical significance of India-Russia relations, stating, "No matter how we characterize them, no matter what epithets we adorn them with, what matters is the content. And the content is very profound. We value this very much. And we see that you, esteemed Mr. Prime Minister, are also devoting a great deal of personal attention to this."

He acknowledged the progress made by both nations in developing bilateral ties, which have expanded as their economies grow. "We are developing new areas related to high technology, related to the development and joint work in aviation, space, high technology in the broad sense of the word, and artificial intelligence. We have very trusting relations in the area of military-technical cooperation. We intend to move forward in all these areas. This only further underscores the level, nature, and trust of our ties," President Putin stated.

As discussions commenced, he noted the effective collaboration of teams from Moscow and New Delhi prior to his visit, stating, "A number of significant documents have been prepared. We have the opportunity to discuss some of them further and discuss other things further. And I am confident that we will conclude today's work with a positive result," he concluded.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed President Putin at the Hyderabad House as part of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Partnership during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

With both nations sharing a longstanding and robust bond, the two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions to further enhance bilateral relations.

On the final day of this state visit, Putin's schedule remains busy, including a business event and a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu in the evening. He will also participate in a business event at Bharat Mandapam aimed at bolstering commercial and investment ties.