‘Celebrating historic declaration…’: Russian Ambassador marks 25th anniversary of India-Russia strategic partnership
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Russia’s ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, marked a big milestone on Friday: 25 years of the strategic partnership between India and Russia. He shared a post on X, calling it a game-changer for ties between the two nations.
“On October 3, 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed the declaration on strategic partnership, which opened a new chapter in bilateral relations,” Alipov wrote. “Today we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of this historic declaration.” He included the Indian and Russian flags in his post to highlight the strong India-Russia bond.
This anniversary comes at an exciting time. Sources say India and Russia are wrapping up plans for Putin’s visit to India in early December. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will likely head to New Delhi first to set the stage for the summit and chat about key bilateral issues.
Just a day earlier, Putin praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership during a session at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi. “Prime Minister Modi is a very wise leader who thinks first about his country,” Putin said, according to Russia Today. He added that people in India remember their special relationship well, describing it as a “privileged strategic partnership.”
Experts in India had mixed takes on Putin’s kind words. Former diplomat KP Fabian welcomed the comments, saying they’re a positive sign. But Rajiv Dogra, another ex-diplomat, called them sincere yet advised caution. “We have to be careful not to be taken in by his words,” Dogra noted, pointing to recent reports of Russia sharing advanced fighter jet engines with Pakistan. “There are many shades to Putin.”
Lavrov brought up Putin’s upcoming trip during the UN General Assembly in New York on September 27. He stressed how deep India-Russia relations run, touching on trade, military and technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian aid, healthcare, high-tech fields like artificial intelligence, and teamwork in groups such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS.
On India’s trade choices, Lavrov made it clear: “We have full respect for the national interests of India and the foreign policy that Narendra Modi is carrying out.” He noted that India handles its own decisions, including deals on Russian oil, through regular high-level talks.
Putin’s visit to India will strengthen the long-time friendship between New Delhi and Moscow. It could spark fresh collaboration in growing areas. Plus, with India staying neutral on the International Criminal Court (ICC), there’s no worry about the ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin blocking the trip.
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