Russia’s Putin and Indian PM Modi have side meeting at Chinese summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP/PA)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in China on Monday in a show of deepening ties when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over the purchase of Russian oil.

The two leaders held talks after attending the key session of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation gathering in the port city of Tianjin, where discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and energy co-operation.