India, Russia firm up 5-year economic roadmap

PM Modi bats for peaceful resolution to Ukraine conflict

- Ekamjit Singh Brar

India and Russia on Friday firmed up a five-year plan to bolster economic and trade ties in the face of Washington's punitive tariff and sanctions regime even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to President Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine must be brought to an end through peaceful means.

Following their summit talks that generated global attention, Modi and Putin demonstrated their keenness to impart a fresh momentum to the over eight-decades-old India-Russia friendship with the prime minister saying that it remained steadfast like a "pole star" notwithstanding geopolitical churn. Besides finalising the 2030 economic programme, the two sides signed several agreements to expand cooperation in a number of sectors including health, mobility and migration, food safety, shipping and people-topeople exchange.