Russia has special ties with India and they have always supported each other and will remain so in the future, President Vladimir Putin has said, as he praised PM Narendra Modi for pursuing an “independent foreign policy” in the interest of his country. Putin’s remarks came at a plenary session of Valdai International Discussion Club, as was reported by TOI in some editions on Thursday. He said Russia and India continue to cooperate in military and technical areas. “We have special ties with India that are built on the foundation of really close allied relations for decades. We never had any outstanding issues with India,” Russian state media RT quoted Putin as saying. Putin’s comments came more than a month after PM Modi told him that today’s era is not of war as they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s summit in Uzbekistan in September.
Putin praised Modi for pursuing an “independent foreign policy” in an apparent reference to India’s decision to keep away from the US and western alliance over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. “PM Modi is one of those individuals in the world who is able to pursue an independent foreign policy in the interest of his country, and his people without any attempts to stop him,” said Putin. “A lot has been done in recent years under PM Modi’s leadership,” he said. “(India) is not only the largest democracy, in a good sense of this word, but it should be proud of its growth rate, that’s the basis of its progress,” he said.
Putin joined several global leaders, who have earlier hailed PM Modi’s leadership. In a QUAD meeting, US President Joe Biden had praised the PM and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by saying that Modi’s success has shown the world that democracies can deliver. In a brief 166-word plaudit written in the TIME magazine profiling PM Modi, former US President Barack Obama described how Modi’s life story – from poverty to PM — “reflects the dynamism and potential of India’s rise”.
During COP 26 Summit last year, then UK PM Boris Johnson had commended Modi, saying, “We should unite across the planet to tackle climate change and there is one guy who particularly knows how to do that … there is One Sun, One World, One Grid and One Narendra Modi….” In his address at the UN, French President Emmanuel Macron had praised Modi’s ‘Not an era of war’ message to Putin. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who routinely attacked Modi, also noted that India is a self-respecting nation that cannot be dictated by any foreign nation.
Putin praised Modi for pursuing an “independent foreign policy” in an apparent reference to India’s decision to keep away from the US and western alliance over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. “PM Modi is one of those individuals in the world who is able to pursue an independent foreign policy in the interest of his country, and his people without any attempts to stop him,” said Putin. “A lot has been done in recent years under PM Modi’s leadership,” he said. “(India) is not only the largest democracy, in a good sense of this word, but it should be proud of its growth rate, that’s the basis of its progress,” he said.
Putin joined several global leaders, who have earlier hailed PM Modi’s leadership. In a QUAD meeting, US President Joe Biden had praised the PM and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by saying that Modi’s success has shown the world that democracies can deliver. In a brief 166-word plaudit written in the TIME magazine profiling PM Modi, former US President Barack Obama described how Modi’s life story – from poverty to PM — “reflects the dynamism and potential of India’s rise”.
During COP 26 Summit last year, then UK PM Boris Johnson had commended Modi, saying, “We should unite across the planet to tackle climate change and there is one guy who particularly knows how to do that … there is One Sun, One World, One Grid and One Narendra Modi….” In his address at the UN, French President Emmanuel Macron had praised Modi’s ‘Not an era of war’ message to Putin. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who routinely attacked Modi, also noted that India is a self-respecting nation that cannot be dictated by any foreign nation.
