New Delhi [India] August 16 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his greetings on India's 79th Independence Day, and earnestly wished Ukraine a future marked by 'peace, progress and prosperity.'

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, 'Thank you President Zelenskyy for your warm greetings. I deeply value the joint commitment to forging even closer ties between India and Ukraine. We earnestly wish our friends in Ukraine a future marked by peace, progress and prosperity.'

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956678213742080017

Earlier on Friday, Zelenskyy extended greetings to the people of India, President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day.

He wrote, 'Congratulations to the people of India, President @rashtrapatibhvn, and Prime Minister @narendramodi on the Independence Day! This week we had a good, candid conversation with Prime Minister @narendramodi when I had an opportunity to personally convey my best wishes on this occasion.'

The Ukrainian leader underlined the shared values of India and Ukraine, saying both nations have stood for freedom, dignity, peace, and development. He also expressed hope that India would play a role in global peace efforts, particularly in ending the ongoing war.

Wishes poured in from across the world, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam among several leaders extending greetings to India.

Earlier, delivering his 12th Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, PM Modi made a series of announcements, signalling that India is poised to make significant progress into the future.

PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program.

He presented his vision for 'Naya Bharat' (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi also unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore.

The scheme aims to provide 3.5 crore employment opportunities to the youth and offer them Rs 15,000 upon securing their first job. (ANI)