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NNEW DELHI: Russian envoy to India Denis Alipov said on Saturday while his country remains New Delhi’s “reliable and time-tested friend”, US is trying to threaten the relationship with sanctions.
“In India, Russia enjoys a solid reputation as a reliable, sincere, well-intentioned, time-tested friend. Such an image was initially shaped due to major contribution of USSR to Indian socio-economic development, and it largely persists to this day,” he said.
The Russian envoy added, “US officials who come here do not hesitate to directly state that they are pursuing the goal of tearing New Delhi away from Moscow. They are even making threats with secondary sanctions. Some Indian partners are forced to exercise caution, sometimes, frankly speaking, excessively, but there are also a significant number of those for whom such an approach is unacceptable.”
Highlighting the growing bilateral ties, Alipov further said, “Our ties continue to steadily expand in a wide range of areas according to our converging national interests. But unlike our Western partners, we have never conditioned cooperation on politics, have not interfered in domestic affairs, and have always maintained mutually respectful and trusted relationships. Therefore, even now we mainly see a growing desire to keep working together and finding ways to overcome well-known impediments caused by destructive unilateral approaches.”
“It should be noted that over the recent years the number of such contacts has increased manifold, and they are becoming more and more meaningful, including distributing information detailing the economic and investment potential and promising areas for interaction. It is indicative that the current bilateral trade turnover, which at the end of 2023 may exceed $60 billion, is several times higher than the pre-sanctions figures,” he added.
Alipov also called for urgent reforms of United Nations and agencies under it while making a strong case for the inclusion of India as a permanent member of UN Security Council.
“We are of the view that India as a permanent member of Security Council could make a significant contribution to promoting balance as well as an agenda focused on the interests of the world majority, primarily the countries of the Global South,” the Russian envoy said. More recently, energy collaboration has become another strong pillar of bilateral ties. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP), India’s largest, is being built in Tamil Nadu with technical assistance provided by Moscow.
“In India, Russia enjoys a solid reputation as a reliable, sincere, well-intentioned, time-tested friend. Such an image was initially shaped due to major contribution of USSR to Indian socio-economic development, and it largely persists to this day,” he said.
The Russian envoy added, “US officials who come here do not hesitate to directly state that they are pursuing the goal of tearing New Delhi away from Moscow. They are even making threats with secondary sanctions. Some Indian partners are forced to exercise caution, sometimes, frankly speaking, excessively, but there are also a significant number of those for whom such an approach is unacceptable.”
Highlighting the growing bilateral ties, Alipov further said, “Our ties continue to steadily expand in a wide range of areas according to our converging national interests. But unlike our Western partners, we have never conditioned cooperation on politics, have not interfered in domestic affairs, and have always maintained mutually respectful and trusted relationships. Therefore, even now we mainly see a growing desire to keep working together and finding ways to overcome well-known impediments caused by destructive unilateral approaches.”
“It should be noted that over the recent years the number of such contacts has increased manifold, and they are becoming more and more meaningful, including distributing information detailing the economic and investment potential and promising areas for interaction. It is indicative that the current bilateral trade turnover, which at the end of 2023 may exceed $60 billion, is several times higher than the pre-sanctions figures,” he added.
Alipov also called for urgent reforms of United Nations and agencies under it while making a strong case for the inclusion of India as a permanent member of UN Security Council.
“We are of the view that India as a permanent member of Security Council could make a significant contribution to promoting balance as well as an agenda focused on the interests of the world majority, primarily the countries of the Global South,” the Russian envoy said. More recently, energy collaboration has become another strong pillar of bilateral ties. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP), India’s largest, is being built in Tamil Nadu with technical assistance provided by Moscow.
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