INDIA – RUSSIA: A Time-Tested Progressive Partnership, Anchored in Trust & Mutual Respect
At the invitation of the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, paid a State visit to India on December 04-05, 2025 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
The Leaders reaffirmed their support for further strengthening of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, established during the first State Visit of H.E. President Vladimir Putin to India in October 2000.
The Leaders emphasized the special nature of this long standing and time-tested relationship, which is characterised by mutual trust, respect for each other’s core national interests and strategic convergence. They underscored that, as major powers with shared responsibilities, this important relationship continues to be an anchor of global peace and stability that should be ensured upon the basis of equal and indivisible security.
The Leaders positively assessed the multi-faceted mutually beneficial India-Russia relations that span all areas of cooperation, including political and strategic, military and security, trade and investment, energy, science and technology, nuclear, space, cultural, education and humanitarian cooperation. It was noted with satisfaction that both Sides are actively exploring new avenues for cooperation while further strengthening cooperation in the traditional areas.
The Leaders underlined that India-Russia ties have remained resilient in the backdrop of the prevailing complex, challenging and uncertain geopolitical situation. Both Sides have strived to forge a contemporary, balanced, mutually beneficial, sustainable and long-term partnership. Development of India-Russia relations across the entire spectrum is a shared foreign policy priority. The Leaders agreed to make all efforts to unlock the full potential of the strategic partnership.
The Leaders welcomed the opening of two Consulates General of India in Yekaterinburg and Kazan, and looked forward to their early operationalisation to further strengthen inter-regional cooperation, trade and economic relations and people to people ties.
The Leaders noted with satisfaction the continued intensification of contacts at all levels since the last Summit, including meetings between them on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan and the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin; holding of the 26th Session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) co-chaired by the External Affairs Minister of India and the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and the 22nd Session of the IRIGC on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) co-chaired by the Defence Ministers of the two countries; visits of Lok Sabha Speaker, External Affairs Minister, Raksha Mantri, Minister of Railways, Information Technology, and Information & Broadcasting, Ministers of State of Home Affairs, Defence, Youth Affairs & Sports, Textiles and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog from the Indian side; visits of Russia’s Chairman of the State Duma, First Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy, Minister of Culture; and holding of strategic dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors, Foreign Office Consultations, consultations on UN issues, meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, etc.
Trade and Economic partnership
The Leaders reaffirmed their shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including by increasing India’s exports to Russia, strengthening industrial cooperation, forging new technological and investment partnerships, especially in advanced high-technology areas and finding new avenues and forms of cooperation.
The Leaders welcomed the adoption of the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India – Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030 (Programme 2030).
The Leaders appreciated the ongoing intensification of the joint work on a Free Trade Agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union covering sectors of mutual interest. They also directed both Sides to intensify efforts in negotiations on a mutually beneficial agreement on the promotion and protection of investments.
The Leaders welcomed the results of the 25th and 26th Sessions of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) and the India-Russia Business Forum held in New Delhi (November 2024) and Moscow (August 2025) respectively.
The Sides underline the importance of an open, inclusive, transparent and non-discriminatory multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization at its core. Both Sides emphasised that addressing tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, removing bottlenecks in logistics, promoting connectivity, ensuring smooth payment mechanisms, finding mutually acceptable solutions for issues of insurance and reinsurance and regular interaction between the businesses of the two countries are among the key elements for timely achievement of the revised bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030.
Energy partnership
The two Sides discussed and commended their wide ranging cooperation in the energy sector as a significant pillar of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. The Sides noted the current and potential cooperation between Indian and Russian companies in fields such as oil and oil products, oil refining and petrochemical technologies, oilfield services and upstream technologies and related infrastructure, LNG and LPG related infrastructure, various existing projects in their countries, underground coal gasification (UCG) technology, nuclear projects, etc. They also noted the importance of expeditious resolution of issues related to investment projects in this area, and agreed to resolve the various concerns being faced by their investors in the energy sector.
Transport and Connectivity
The two Sides agreed to deepen cooperation in building stable and efficient transport corridors, with the focus on expanding logistics links for improving connectivity and enhancing infrastructure capacity to support the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Chennai–Vladivostok (Eastern Maritime) Corridor, and the Northern Sea Route. They welcomed the signing of the MoU on the Training of Specialists for Ships Operating in Polar Waters.
The Sides noted the fruitful cooperation between the railways of Russia and India, aimed at establishing partnerships in the field of mutually beneficial technology exchange.
Cooperation in the Russian Far East and Arctic
The two Sides confirmed their readiness to intensify trade and investment cooperation in the Far East and the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The Program of India-Russia Cooperation in Trade, Economic and Investment Spheres in the Russian Far East for the period from 2024-2029 provides the necessary framework for further cooperation between India and the Russian Far East region, especially in the sectors of agriculture, energy, mining, manpower, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, maritime transport, etc.
Both Sides underscored the importance of holding regular bilateral consultations on Arctic related issues and welcomed the progress made in multi-faceted bilateral cooperation on the Northern Sea Route. The Russian Side appreciated the participation of the Indian delegation in the 6th International Arctic Forum held in Murmansk in March 2025. The Indian Side expressed its readiness to play an active role as an Observer in the Arctic Council.
Cultural cooperation, Tourism and people to people exchanges
The two Sides agreed that cultural interaction and people to people exchanges are an important component of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. They appreciated the participation in major international cultural forums, book fairs, festivals and art competitions organized in both countries and welcomed the holding on a parity basis, of Cultural Exchange Festivals in their countries, aimed at the fullest demonstration of Indian and Russian culture.
Recognizing the traditionally strong cooperation between India and Russia in the sphere of education, both Sides appreciated efforts to ensure well-being of students and agreed to continue their efforts in promoting educational linkages between universities and educational institutions.
Both Sides stressed the importance of strengthening their BRICS partnership and further committed themselves to promote cooperation in the expanded BRICS under the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial, cultural and people-to-people cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus. Russia pledged its full support for India’s upcoming BRICS Chairship in 2026.
They will pay special attention to establishment of the Universal Center on Countering Security Challenges and Threats in Tashkent and Counter-Narcotics Center in Dushanbe.
The two Sides agreed to continue interaction within G20, BRICS and SCO on key issues such as efforts towards reformed multilateralism, reform of international economic governance institutions and Multilateral Development Banks, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs in its economic, social and environmental dimensions, stimulating economic growth, enhancing sustainability and developing resilience of international supply chains, including critical minerals, compliance with free and fair trade norms and climate change.
The Sides agreed to continue interaction within G20, BRICS, SCO on the key issues of climate change. The Sides welcomed the results achieved by a coordinated work within the BRICS Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development; including the launch of the BRICS Climate Research Platform and the BRICS Laboratory for Trade, Climate and Sustainable Development. Both sides encouraged fruitful cooperation in the area of addressing climate change in BRICS during the India Chairship in grouping in 2026.
The Sides noted with satisfaction the resilience of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and the convergent and complementary approaches of their foreign policy priorities, and reaffirmed their commitment for further strengthening it. They stressed that India and Russia as major powers will continue to strive for global peace and stability in a multipolar world as well as in a multipolar Asia.
H.E. President Vladimir Putin thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation in New Delhi and invited him to visit Russia in 2026 for the 24th India-Russia Annual Summit.