SCO Summit 2022: Narendra Modi tells Vladimir Putin 'today's era is not of war'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 2022 at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on Friday. Modi told Putin that 'today's era is not of war' and the two leaders also discussed a number of topics including the food and fuel crisis, fertiliser supply and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

"I know that today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this," Modi told Putin according to Reuters as he also urged the bloc to work together.

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“We (India and Russia) have been friends for decades and been together. World knows our relation.”

“We have been working together at all levels. I believe both of us will be able to fulfil the expectations of the world,” Modi said after the two leaders met after the end of the summit.

Putin said that he understood India’s position as well as concerns regarding the Ukraine war and added that Russia “wants all of this to end as soon as possible."

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Putin earlier said that Russia was ready to provide more than 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertilisers stuck in European ports to the developing world for free. He added that India has been a major importer of fertilisers from Russia and hoped that it has been a help for the agricultural sector.

"Our trade is growing, thanks to your additional supplies of Russian fertilisers to the Indian markets, which have grown more than eight-fold. I am hopeful that this is going to be of huge help of the agricultural sector of India," he said.