"An old friend is better than two new friends" : PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called Russian an "an old friend of India" and said the ties between the two countries were "truly privileged and unique"

Using a Russian maxim on friendship, Modi in a joint address to the media said in Russian they say "an old friend is better than two new friends".

He praised President Putin's continuous personal attention on strengthening ties with India. "Your personal attention has been a source of strength of our relationship, your leadership provided stability and substance to our strategic partnership. Ours is a truly privileged relationship."

The Prime Minister said he and Putin just concluded "highly productive" talks

The remarks came after India and Russia signed a host of new agreements, including on energy, defence and economic cooperation and also announced deals across different sectors.

Modi and Putin earlier held a closed-door bilateral meeting as part of the annual India-Russia summit.