Move from 'endless war towards end of war': PM Modi tells Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 26th annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek on Monday. The discussions focused on key areas of India-Russia bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, energy and defence. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said it was a matter of deep satisfaction that cooperation between India and Russia continued to scale new heights.   
On the Ukraine conflict, PM Modi stressed the need for a peaceful resolution, saying that every day of war sets humanity back. He told President Putin that resolving all issues through peaceful means is a call of humanity. PM Modi said, ” We must move from endless wars to ending wars,’ adding that India supports all efforts towards peace. The meeting took place more than a week before President Putin is scheduled to travel to India to attend the annual BRICS summit.  PM Modi and Putin travelled together in the Russian President’s limousine to Nomad Games. Television footage showed them jointly entering the venue for the inauguration ceremony of the games. The two leaders had travelled in the same car in the Chinese city of Tianjin during the SCO summit last year too.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said India is hosting the BRICS Summit in a few days, and all Indians are eager to welcome Putin and his delegation. He said the visit of the Russian President will strengthen bilateral relations and further reinforce dialogue and cooperation within the BRICS framework. President Vladimir Putin showed his satisfaction that Indian-Russian relations continue to strengthen on the basis of the principles of a special and privileged partnership.
At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said there was a discussion between the two leaders on trade with a focus on increasing Indian exports to Russia in several areas. The foreign secretary also noted that there has been significant progress in addressing issues like non-tariff barriers and market access for Indian products in Russia since the last meeting between the two leaders.Misri also said that PM Modi and President Putin discussed the Ukraine issue and the prime minister emphasised the importance India attaches to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve it.