Moscow/New Delhi, May 5: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and “strongly condemned” the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, offering “full support” to India in its ongoing fight against terrorism.
“He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated after the call.
“Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepen India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. PM Modi conveyed greetings to President Putin on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him for the Annual Summit to be held in India later in the year,” Jaiswal added.
The brutal assault on April 22, which resulted in the death of 26 innocent tourists, unfolded in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam when four heavily armed terrorists, two of them from Pakistan, emerged from the surrounding dense forests and opened indiscriminate fire on tourists. The attack has been described as one of the most horrific in the region in recent memory.
Monday’s call between the two leaders took place before the Russian President hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will be on an official visit to the Russian Federation from May 7-10 and take part in the ceremonial events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
In a statement issued later in the day, the Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin once again expressed sincere condolences to PM Modi over the death of Indian citizens as a result of the barbaric terrorist attack on April 22 in the city of Pahalgam in southern Kashmir. Both sides, it said, emphasised the need for an “uncompromising fight” against terrorism in any form.
“During the conversation, the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations of a special privileged partnership was emphasised. These relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all directions. Narendra Modi congratulated Vladimir Putin and the entire Russian people on the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It was noted that Victory Day is a common holiday. The Indian representative will take part in the ceremonial events in Moscow,” read the statement issued by the Russian President’s office.
“The Indian leader reiterated his invitation to the Russian President to visit India for the traditional annual bilateral summit. The invitation was accepted with gratitude,” it added.
PM Modi, who had also been invited by Putin for the participation in the Victory Day celebrations, will however not be travelling to Russia.
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