Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the celebrated Tamil classic by poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, during their meeting in New Delhi. The literary gift was presented as Modi and Putin held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. Putin arrived in India on Friday for the summit, which India is hosting on September 12 and 13.
Strengthening Ties: Modi and Putin’s Recent Meeting
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met recently to discuss the expansion of their strategic partnership. This meeting, which marked their second encounter this year, followed a previous discussion on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek on August 31.
During their latest meeting, the leaders addressed a variety of topics, including bilateral relations and the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region. Their warm embrace at the beginning of the meeting underscored the friendly nature of their discussions.
During Friday’s talks, the leaders were expected to review progress in bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties. Modi had reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remained the way forward in resolving conflicts. Before their Bishkek meeting, Modi and Putin had met in New Delhi for the 23rd Annual Summit in December 2025.
“The two leaders agreed to remain engaged to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience in the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had stated after the August 31 meeting.
