St. Petersburg [Russia], June 5 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the relations between India and China as 'delicate' and 'multi-faceted' stressing that outside interference would be counterproductive as the two Asian powers continue efforts to address issues of mutual concern.

On the sidelines of the St Petersburg Economic Forum on Thursday (local time), Putin was asked about the impact of Pakistan-China relations on India. In response, he rejected the notion that Pakistan operates entirely under Beijing's influence.

Highlighting the changing global economic landscape, the Russian President pointed to the growing weight of major economies, noting, 'India ranks third, Russia ranks fourth in terms of GDP... China, US, India, and Russia are the top four countries,' he said.

Putin underscored the sensitivity of ties between New Delhi and Beijing, saying, 'These are delicate, multi-faceted relations between India and China, and interfering in them is not a good idea. We interact with our friends in both India and China.'

The Russian President said Moscow maintains close engagement with both countries and remains confident in their ability to manage bilateral challenges through dialogue.

'We interact with our friends in both India and China... President Xi and PM Modi are both trying to resolve all the issues of mutual interest, including the relations on the border,' he said, referring to the efforts of both leaders in resolving the issues at the bilateral level.

Putin also stressed that Russia's relationships with India and China are not viewed as mutually exclusive and do not generate friction among the three countries.

'As for Russia, we have our own relations with China and India. No one is holding grudges... Relations between Russia and India do not disturb China, our relations with China do not disturb India,' he said.

Futher, Putin said, 'We are well aware of the intricacies of the issues concerning the border between India and Pakistan. I don't think Pakistan is a country that is fully under the control of China. Pakistan is a large country, and it has multi-faceted ties with different countries. They need to take into account the cooperation with China, but everyone is developing relations with China.'

The Russian President also pointed to the evolution of multilateral cooperation platforms, particularly BRICS, as evidence of constructive engagement among major emerging powers.

'Take BRICS, for example. At one point, I suggested that leaders of India and China meet here, which is how Russia-India-China was established. We had things to talk about, to agree upon, which we started doing later on, then we were joined by Brazil,' Putin said.

Earlier on May 29, MEA said that the discussions at the meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) were constructive and represent a step forward.

Answering queries during the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian side stressed the early meeting of the next expert-level mechanism on transboundary rivers.

He said the two sides discussed issues relating to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and border cooperation.

'A meeting of the WMCC has also taken place in Beijing, China. The meeting was led on our side by our Joint Secretary... the discussions held were constructive and represent a step forward. We will continue to keep you apprised of further specific developments and progress as they unfold in the coming days,' he said.

'The two sides discussed issues relating to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and border cooperation. The Indian side stressed the early meeting of the next expert-level mechanism on transboundary rivers as well... we want to take forward all that was agreed during the SR talks, and the two sides also agreed to work together to make substantive preparation for the next round of SR talks, which are to be held in China now,' he added.

The 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on May 27 in Beijing.

A MEA release had said that the discussions were constructive and forward-looking.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi later this year under India's chairmanship for the year 2026.

Russian Embassy in South Africa, in a post on social media platform X, cited an aide to Putin, Yury Ushakov, as saying that the Russian President will attend the BRICS Summit from September 12 to 13. (ANI)