BLITZ BUREAU
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a private engagement, that his only goal is to serve the people of India.
“You have dedicated your entire life to serving the Indian people, and people feel it,” the Russian President told the Prime Minister to which PM Modi responded by saying, “You are right, I have only one goal – my country, the people of India.”
Earlier, PM Modi was welcomed by President Putin at his residence at Novo-Ogaryovo for a private engagement President Putin said: “Esteemed Prime Minister! Dear friend! Good afternoon again, I am very glad to see you. We will have official conversations tomorrow, but today, in this homely environment, we can calmly talk about probably the same issues – but unofficially.”
About Novo-Ogaryovo, he said, “This is the official residence where I live. On one side are the complexes where I work with colleagues. On the other side are the utility rooms and the block where I live. You and I were there today.”
Congratulating PM Modi on his third term, President Putin said: “But first I would like to congratulate you on your re-election as Prime Minister. I think this is not accidental, but the result of your work over many years at the head of the Indian government. You have your own ideas, you are a very energetic person, you know how to achieve results in the interests of India and the Indian people. And the result is obvious: India confidently ranks third in the world in terms of economy. Probably, now it is the largest country in the world in terms of population – 1.4 billion people.
