Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his overwhelming election win on Monday and expressed his eagerness to further solidify the long-standing alliance between the two countries.
The 71-year-old received nearly 88% of the vote, which is supposedly the highest percentage in Russia’s post-Soviet history, to win a fifth term as president.
A post on X read, “Warm congratulations to H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation,” according to PM Modi.
“Look forward to working together to further strengthen the time-tested Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the years to come,” he stated.
President Putin commended India and Prime Minister Modi earlier this year for pursuing an independent foreign policy, saying that it “is not easy in the modern world”.
Russia and India have both repeatedly declared themselves to be reliable partners.
“We have very good relationships with India, and our faith in India is demonstrated by the fact that Moscow is New Delhi’s greatest foreign investor… and it is just the beginning,” Putin was quoted as saying by Russia Today.
At his Moscow presidential campaign headquarters, Putin gave a “victory speech” in which he expressed gratitude to the people and expressed excitement about starting his second term, which would run until 2030, making him the nation’s longest-serving leader in more than 200 years.