Rajnath Singh meets Putin in Moscow, says India-Russia friendship higher than highest mountain

India-Russia friendship is “higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.

Both leaders expressed that the partnership between the countries holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave the way for remarkable outcomes, an Indian readout of the meeting said.

Singh called on Putin after co-chairing the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Cooperation along with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov.

“During the meeting, Rajnath Singh said ‘friendship between our countries is higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean’,” the readout by the defence ministry said.

Singh conveyed to Putin that India has always stood by its Russian friends and will continue to do so in future, it said.

The defence minister also conveyed warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Putin.

Glad to call on the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, the defence minister said on ‘X’.

Singh embarked on the three-day trip to Russia on Sunday.

The defence minister’s visit to Russia came five months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Moscow and held summit talks with Putin.

During the summit, both sides had vowed to further expand India-Russia defence and military ties.

Modi travelled to Russia in October as well to attend the annual BRICS summit.