Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that bilateral ties between Russia and India have stood the test of time when a new system of international relations is emerging in the world.

In his message to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 60th anniversary of Indo-Russian diplomatic ties on Friday, Putin said: "Russia highly values its friendly relations with India, relations that have stood the test of time and have shown exceptional stability and continuity.

"At a time when a new system of international relations is being formed, Russia and India have succeeded through their joint efforts in putting in place a solid legal base and effective mechanisms to continue strengthening their bilateral ties," he said.

He noted that in last 60 years, India and Russia have acquired great experience in mutually beneficial cooperation at various levels.

This has made it possible to take the multifaceted bilateral cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership in the long-term national interests of both the countries and in the interests of stability and security in Asia and the world, he noted.

In a separate message to President A P J Abdul Kalam, Putin said: "Throughout the centuries, the peoples of Russia and India have always felt sincere friendship for each other, genuine interest in each other's rich cultural and creative heritage and the desire for mutually beneficial and diverse cooperation."