Russia will remain our most important defence partner: PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Russia will remain our most important defence partner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while addressing a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"It's a great pleasure to welcome President Putin to India, I am honoured to host him in Delhi," said PM Modi.

India and Russia have signed a key nuclear deal among many other agreements during Putin's 22-hour visit to the capital.

Here are the highlights from PM Modi's speech:

• Honoured to host President Putin in India
• Putin is the leader of a great nation with whom we have a friendship that is unmatched
• Strategic partnership that is incomparable in content
• Russia has been there in tough times
• India has stood with Russia through its own challenges
• The importance of this relationship and its unique place in India is foreign policy will not change
• Russia has been India's foremost defence partner through decades

Here are the highlights from President Putin's speech:

• We are content with how this visit is being conducted and also with the outcome of the visit
• PM Modi and I placed emphasis on trade and economic issues
• We had constructive talks on a whole gamut of issues
• India and Russia encourage use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes