The Kremlin said on the 7th (local time) that Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un sent congratulatory messages for Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday.
According to TASS, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Putin's 73rd birthday, "We received quite a lot of warm and original congratulatory telegrams," and added, "In particular, we received congratulatory telegrams from the Chinese president and the North Korean leader."
Putin said, "So far, 30 to 40 foreign leaders have sent birthday greetings," adding, "Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was the first to congratulate me."
Putin also held a phone call that day with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and they exchange views on bilateral issues as well as various international agendas, including the Middle East and Ukraine.
In a separate phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they checked on preparations for his visit to New Delhi scheduled for December, TASS reported.