Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting on Monday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China. The meeting carried a personal touch as both leaders travelled together in President Putin’s AURUS limousine from the summit venue to the meeting site.

Reports suggest that Putin waited nearly 10 minutes for PM Modi so they could ride together. The two leaders spoke for about 45 minutes inside the car before beginning their official talks.

Sharing a picture of the ride on X, PM Modi wrote, “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.”

During the talks, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. They discussed cooperation in economic, financial, and energy sectors, with bilateral trade hitting a record $68.7 billion in FY 2024-25.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X: “PM @narendramodi met President Mr. Vladimir Putin of Russia on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China. Both leaders discussed India-Russia bilateral ties, including in the economic, financial and energy sectors.”