There were no aartis, no 'swing diplomacy', and too many hugs were done away with. Why was it that Vladimir Putin, the president of India's oldest and all-weather friend, Russia, not accorded the Narendra Modi brand of hospitality?
In fact, it was the Russians who requested that all such ceremonial formalities be dispensed with so that the two leaders—PM Narendra Modi and President Putin—could devote more time for talks.
And they did talk. A lot. A one-to-one dinner lasted for over three hours on Thursday, and the talks on Friday, scheduled for 30 minutes, stretched to 90 minutes. These were besides the delegation-level discussions.
The two did not discuss Chabahar Port or China's road making spree, and touched upon the US sanctions on Iran only in passing. They did not talk about the Indo-Pacific either.
So, what kept them engaged? Quite a bit, it turns out. Putin said India could explore the Russian range of civil aircraft, going beyond the Boeing and Airbus. He suggested tie-ups in railway sector and in mining on Russia's Far East.
Putin asked Modi about India's experience with the GST, which he plans to replicate in his country.
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They decided that the youth of the two countries needed to know about contemporary literature of each other, beyond Tolstoys and Premchands. The two have decided to personally select ten books from their countries and get them translated for the other.
They have also decided to work on the Ganga-Volga civilisation links.
Besides, they have decided to do something together to save tigers, the plan for which is expected to be ready before the next summit.
