Russian President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held a telephonic conversation, where they discussed various issues of mutual concern. The leaders reviewed progress on bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues. They also discussed the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. During the call, Putin conveyed his inability to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2023. He informed Prime Minister Modi that Russia would be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

However, Modi thanked Putin for Russia's consistent support to all initiatives under India's G20 Presidency and expressed understanding for Russia's decision. It was reported earlier that Putin would not personally attend the G20 summit due to his busy schedule and the focus on the special military operation in Ukraine. However, the two leaders agreed to remain in touch and discussed ongoing efforts and talks for a successful summit.

Additionally, Putin congratulated Modi for the successful landing of the Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. They both reaffirmed their willingness to further develop bilateral cooperation in space exploration and to implement "large-scale" projects in the energy sector. The G20 summit in New Delhi is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in India. India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022, from Indonesia. The summit will be held on September 9 and 10, and discussions on the Ukraine conflict are anticipated, as consensus on the issue remains elusive. Overall, the conversation between Putin and Modi highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between Russia and India, as well as their commitment to international cooperation and dialogue.