PM Modi, Putin's 'Car Diplomacy' Continues In Delhi

A Recurring Gesture: Bishkek And Tianjin

Both leaders had showcased the same bonhomie in Kyrgyzstan on August 31 when they travelled in the same car to the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games after their bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.

Last year too, PM Modi and Putin had travelled in the same car to the venue of the bilateral meeting in China's Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Leaders' Summit.

Dubbed as PM Modi's "car diplomacy" by analysts, it became a huge talking point on various social media platforms.

A Symbolic Gift: The Thirukkural

During their meeting in New Delhi on Friday, PM Modi presented a Russian translation of the Thirukkural to Putin.

What Is The Thirukkural: The Thirukkuṟaḷ is a classical Tamil text written by the poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, comprising 1,330 short couplets called Kurals, each made up of exactly seven words. Covering themes of virtue, wealth and love, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature for its secular, universal teachings — one that has resonated across cultures enough to have influenced foreign thinkers like Leo Tolstoy, making it a fitting diplomatic gift symbolising shared human values rather than any religious or national viewpoint.

The book has been translated into Russian by Naira Mkrtchyan.

"Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders," PM Modi posted on X.

Second Meeting Between The Leaders This Year

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov and several other officials were present during the meeting. Both leaders shared a warm hug before they sat down for their second meeting this year, having earlier met on the margins of the SCO Summit in Bishkek on August 31.

The meeting between the two leaders comes ahead of the BRICS Summit set to be hosted by India on September 12-13.

Putin's Arrival In New Delhi

Earlier in the day, Putin arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh received him at the airport in New Delhi.

"Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport. India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting PM Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First." In addition, the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.

(With inputs from IANS)