Factor | News Getty Images | Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that now is not the time for war, as food, fertilizer and fuel security are among the world’s major concerns right now. “I know today is not a time of war and I spoke to you on the phone about that,” Modi told Putin on the sidelines of a summit of the regional security bloc in Uzbekistan, adding that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue keep people together. Putin said he understood Modi’s concerns about the war in Ukraine. “I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine and I know your concerns. We want this all to end as soon as possible.” Putin, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit, on Wednesday acknowledged Beijing’s concerns about the war. Modi and Putin were speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose permanent members, apart from India, include China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. “Our trade is growing, thanks to your additional supplies of Russian fertilizers to Indian markets, which have increased by more than eightfold. I hope this will help India’s agricultural sector immensely,” Putin said.
