Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his warm birthday wishes during a phone call, reiterating India’s commitment to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership with Russia.

“Thank you, my friend, President Putin, for your phone call and warm wishes on my 75th birthday. We are committed to further strengthening our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. India is ready to make all possible contributions towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” PM Modi posted on X.

Earlier in the day, President Putin extended greetings to PM Modi, praising his leadership and global stature. “Your work as head of government has earned you great respect from your compatriots and enormous prestige on the international stage. Under your guidance, India has achieved impressive results in the social, economic, scientific and technological spheres,” Putin said.

The Russian leader lauded Modi’s personal role in advancing bilateral ties and reaffirmed the “close comradely relations” between Moscow and New Delhi. “We will certainly continue our constructive dialogue and joint work on the current issues on the bilateral, regional and international agendas,” he added.

The two leaders most recently met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where they discussed regional and global challenges, including the ongoing Ukraine conflict. PM Modi reiterated India’s support for initiatives aimed at ending hostilities and called for a durable peace settlement.

Looking ahead, Modi also conveyed that he is looking forward to welcoming President Putin to India later this year for the 23rd Annual Summit.