Modi 'warmly congratulates' Putin
- The constitutional reforms approved in a nationwide vote by 77.92 percent of Russian voters could allow Putin to extend his rule until 2036.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday "warmly congratulated" Russian President Vladimir Putin after a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms, in contrast to expressions of unease in Washington and Brussels.
In a phone call Modi "warmly congratulated President Putin on the success of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War, and also for successful completion of the vote on constitutional amendments in Russia", a statement said.
The constitutional reforms approved in a nationwide vote by 77.92 percent of Russian voters could allow Putin to extend his rule until 2036.
The US State Department said it was "troubled" by reports of government efforts to manipulate the result and "especially concerned" about the provision in the reforms potentially extending Putin's rule by a further 16 years.
India, the world's largest democracy has long walked a delicate tightrope in its relations with the United States and Russia.
In February Modi hosted US President Donald Trump at a huge "Namaste Trump" rally before agreeing a raft of defence deals even as they failed to see eye-to-eye on trade.
In 2018 Modi and Putin hugged in New Delhi as they signed an accord for Russia, India's biggest arms supplier, to supply its S-400 missile system despite the threat of US sanctions.
India's relations with China meanwhile have deteriorated rapidly following a border clash on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead as well as an unknown number of Chinese casualties.
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