A call between the leaders of Russia and India affirmed the countries’ close ties despite Washington’s demands for New Delhi to wean itself off Russian oil. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked his “friend,

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and looked forward to continued exchanges in the days to come.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in New Delhi by the end of year.According to sources, Putin will travel to New Delhi but no dates have been finalised yet. MeanwhilePM Modi and Putin will also hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin scheduled at the end of this month.