New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): Congress leader Supriya Shrinate has credited former Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for laying the groundwork for India's close ties with Russia, following a phone call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to ANI, Shrinate said, 'Today Russia stands with India, and this is the result of the foreign policy that has been followed by every government and whose foundation was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Today India has good relations with Russia, and this is the contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi...'

Shrinate also addressed regional security concerns, describing ongoing tensions as a broader fight beyond national boundaries.

' This is more a fight between humanity and inhumanity than India and Pakistan... Pakistan keeps giving protection to anti-India forces... PM Modi should give a befitting reply to such forces,' She added.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He strongly condemned the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack and expressed 'full support' to India in the fight against terrorism, said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

President Putin emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice.

It was also noted that during the conversation, both leaders reiterated their commitment to deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

PM Modi also extended greetings to President Putin on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him to the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit to be held in India later in the year.

Earlier on May 3, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S V Lavrov in a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, discussed the terrorist attack near Pahalgam. Lavrov in his call with Jaishankar, called for the settlement of disagreements between Delhi and Islamabad. Lavrov called for settlements by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis.

Following the Pahalgam attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

Amid the ongoing tensions, India also imposed an immediate ban on the direct or indirect import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade flows, according to a notification by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. (ANI)