MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal meeting Monday in the capital Moscow.

According to footage shared by the Kremlin, the two leaders met at the Novo-Ogarevo presidential residence in Moscow ahead of their official talks scheduled for tomorrow.

During the meeting, Putin expressed his pleasure at seeing Modi, saying: "You are a person with your own ideas, energetic, and someone who achieves results for the interests of the Indian people. India now has the world's third-largest economy."

Putin noted India's population of 1.4 billion, highlighting that stability contributes to its growth, and congratulated Modi on this achievement.

Putin and Modi are scheduled to meet tomorrow in a series of official meetings in both narrow and expanded formats.