Russian-Indian trade grows 26% in 2018, Putin says

JOHANNESBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Trade between Russia and India rose 24% last year and 26% in the first five months of 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. "I remember your visit to Sochi, we had very good, kind, friendly and substantive talks. Now we are preparing for my visit to India in October this year…Our efforts have not been in vain. Trade is growing: last year it rose 24% and in the first five months of this year it also grew 26%," the president said. In his turn, Modi positively assessed his May visit to Russia, saying that friendship between the two countries is strengthening. The Indian prime minister also congratulated Russia on having successfully organized the FIFA World Cup. Before his meeting with Modi, Putin had held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and his Argentine, Angolan, Turkish and Zambian counterparts - Mauricio Macri, Joao Lourenco, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Edgar Lungu. Read more