Moscow: Months before his scheduled visit to New Delhi, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his government to devise measures to soften the trade imbalance with India due to the heavy import of crude by the country.

Putin, while speaking at the international Valdai discussion forum of security and geopolitical experts from 140 countries, including India, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in south Russia on Thursday evening, underlined that Russia and India have never had any problems or tensions between them and always took actions by keeping in view their sensitivities. ADVERTISEMENT

“We have never had any problems or interstate tensions with India. Never,” he said.

Highlighting the “special” nature of Russia-India relations since the days of the Soviet Union, when India was fight

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