‘I am convinced that as PM of India you will further strengthen the centuries-old friendship’: Russian President Vladimir Putin's special message to Narendra Modi as NDA storms towards victory in 2019 elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the convincing victory of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the parliamentary elections and expressed his readiness to work together to build up the full range of bilateral relations. 

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"I am convinced that, as the Prime Minister of India, you will further strengthen the centuries-old friendship between our peoples and the all-round development of a particularly privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India," Putin said in a congratulatory message. 

The Russian leader expressed his readiness to continue fruitful personal contacts with Prime Minister Modi and to work together to build up the full range of bilateral relations and constructive interaction in international affairs, the Kremlin said in a statement. 

Prime Minister Modi led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards what looks set to be a resounding victory for a second term in office. 

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With the elections establishing 68-year-old Modi as the most popular leader in decades in India, the partial vote count released by the Election Commission showed that BJP was expected to surpass its 2014 performance. 

Earlier, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe had also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

(With inputs from PTI)