“PM Modi is a patriot… India’s future belongs to India,” Putin says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s independent foreign policy in his annual address to the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank, on Thursday, saying that a lot has been done under his leadership in India and calling him a patriot of the country, according to Reuters translation of the former’s statement, which he said in Russian.

“A lot has been done under PM Modi’s leadership. He is a patriot of his country. His idea of ‘Make in India’ matters both economically and ethically. According to a Reuters translation, the future belongs to India, and it can be proud of being the world’s largest democracy,” the Kremlin said at the Valdai Discussion Club.

The Russian president praised India’s transformation from a British colony to a modern state, adding that its 1.5 billion people and tangible development results deserve everyone’s respect and admiration.

“India has made tremendous strides in transitioning from a British colony to a modern state. Almost 1.5 billion people and tangible development results give everyone reason to respect and admire India, “He continued.

He also emphasized India-Russia ties, referring to them as a special relationship.

“It has been underpinned by a close ally relationship for many decades; we’ve never had any difficult issues and supported each other, and that’s happening right now, and I’m sure it will happen in the future,” Putin said, according to Reuters.

Putin also stated that Prime Minister Modi had asked him to increase the supply of fertilizers, which is critical for Indian agriculture.