Russian president Vladimir Putin's article, Russia and India: 70 years together; Comments to Indian press
Here's the article, Russia and India: 70 years together, by Vladimir Putin, http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/russia-and-india-70-years-together/, dated May 30th 2017
I have given below a few extracts from the article:
Our peoples have always had mutual sympathy and respect for each other’s spiritual values and culture.
...
Today, we can take pride in what we have achieved. With Russia’s technical and financial assistance, the pioneers of Indian industrialization came into existence: metallurgical complexes in Bhilai, Visakhapatnam and Bokaro, the mining equipment plant in Durgapur, the thermal power station in Neyveli, the electromechanical enterprise in Korba, antibiotics plants in Rishikesh and the pharmaceutical plant in Hyderabad.
Soviet and, later on, Russian scientists and academics participated in the establishment of research and education centers in India. These include the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, research institutes of petroleum industry in Dehradun and Ahmedabad.
We are proud our specialists helped develop India’s space program. Thanks to this fruitful bilateral cooperation, in 1975 India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched, and Indian citizen Rakesh Sharma travelled into space in 1984 as a crew member of Soyuz T-11.
...
Russia is committed to long-term participation in the “Make in India” program initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
...
India and Russia are equal partners in international affairs. Our countries support the establishment of a multipolar democratic system of international relations based on strict compliance with the principles of law and resting upon the UN central role. We are willing to further jointly counter challenges and threats of the 21st century, promote the unifying agenda and contribute to maintaining global and regional security.
...
I am convinced that the enormous potential of cooperation between the two great powers will be further explored for the benefit of the peoples of India and Russia and the international community in general. We have everything necessary to achieve this – political will of the sides, economic viability and shared global priorities. All this is based on the glorious history of the Indian Russian friendship.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to convey the kindest regards to all the citizens of friendly India.
--- end extracts from Mr. Putin's article ---
Ravi: I find the above article of Hon'ble President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin, to be very encouraging and appreciative of India and its seven decades long ties with Russia. As an Indian citizen and resident of India, I am touched by the last sentence of his article conveying "the kindest regards to all the citizens of friendly India"! Thank you, Mr. Putin, sir, for those words.
Here's an article dated today, 1st June 2017, covering response of Mr. Putin to PTI (Indian press), Russia's trust-based ties with India will not be diluted: Vladimir Putin, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/russias-trust-based-ties-with-india-will-not-be-diluted-vladimir-putin/articleshow/58947587.cms.
The article quotes Putin as saying, "India is a huge country of more than 1 billion population. Russia is also a huge country. Both Russia and India share mutual interests. We are respectful towards all Indian interests"... "India for us is one of our closest friends. We not only understand each other but also support each other."
Ravi: I am very glad to see that India's perhaps increasing friendship with the USA and some countries in Western Europe under PM Narendra Modi over the past three years, does not seem to have impacted India's decades long friendship with tried, time-tested and trusted ally, Russia (and former Soviet Union).
I will not forget that in the last major war that India had, which was the 1971 war with Pakistan over liberation of Bangladesh, it was the Soviet Union that came to India's rescue, when some Western nations tried to put some military pressure (through their naval vessels) on India as they were allied then with Pakistan. I was 9 years old then and the war did not really impact Bombay/Mumbai where I was living, except for fear of an air attack on Bombay/Mumbai from Pakistani air bases. That fear led to lot of precautions being taken including putting brown paper on the glass panes of windows of our fifth floor Railway quarters flat in Dadar, a central suburb of Mumbai, right next to the vital Railway tracks of Central Railway, to make it more difficult for enemy airplanes to spot lit areas of the city. I don't think any Pakistani enemy airplane made it to Bombay in that war. I came to know more details of that 1971 war much later as I grew up. But I do clearly recall that fear of Pakistani enemy airplane attacks on Bombay/Mumbai. I am not sure whether I realized then (but surely came to know later on) that Soviet Union/Russia was helping us in that war. I am grateful to Soviet Union/Russia for that help rendered.
[I thank Russian president Vladimir Putin (and indiatimes.com) and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from his/their articles on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
I have given below a few extracts from the article:
Our peoples have always had mutual sympathy and respect for each other’s spiritual values and culture.
...
Today, we can take pride in what we have achieved. With Russia’s technical and financial assistance, the pioneers of Indian industrialization came into existence: metallurgical complexes in Bhilai, Visakhapatnam and Bokaro, the mining equipment plant in Durgapur, the thermal power station in Neyveli, the electromechanical enterprise in Korba, antibiotics plants in Rishikesh and the pharmaceutical plant in Hyderabad.
Soviet and, later on, Russian scientists and academics participated in the establishment of research and education centers in India. These include the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, research institutes of petroleum industry in Dehradun and Ahmedabad.
We are proud our specialists helped develop India’s space program. Thanks to this fruitful bilateral cooperation, in 1975 India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched, and Indian citizen Rakesh Sharma travelled into space in 1984 as a crew member of Soyuz T-11.
...
Russia is committed to long-term participation in the “Make in India” program initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
...
India and Russia are equal partners in international affairs. Our countries support the establishment of a multipolar democratic system of international relations based on strict compliance with the principles of law and resting upon the UN central role. We are willing to further jointly counter challenges and threats of the 21st century, promote the unifying agenda and contribute to maintaining global and regional security.
...
I am convinced that the enormous potential of cooperation between the two great powers will be further explored for the benefit of the peoples of India and Russia and the international community in general. We have everything necessary to achieve this – political will of the sides, economic viability and shared global priorities. All this is based on the glorious history of the Indian Russian friendship.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to convey the kindest regards to all the citizens of friendly India.
--- end extracts from Mr. Putin's article ---
Ravi: I find the above article of Hon'ble President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin, to be very encouraging and appreciative of India and its seven decades long ties with Russia. As an Indian citizen and resident of India, I am touched by the last sentence of his article conveying "the kindest regards to all the citizens of friendly India"! Thank you, Mr. Putin, sir, for those words.
Here's an article dated today, 1st June 2017, covering response of Mr. Putin to PTI (Indian press), Russia's trust-based ties with India will not be diluted: Vladimir Putin, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/russias-trust-based-ties-with-india-will-not-be-diluted-vladimir-putin/articleshow/58947587.cms.
The article quotes Putin as saying, "India is a huge country of more than 1 billion population. Russia is also a huge country. Both Russia and India share mutual interests. We are respectful towards all Indian interests"... "India for us is one of our closest friends. We not only understand each other but also support each other."
Ravi: I am very glad to see that India's perhaps increasing friendship with the USA and some countries in Western Europe under PM Narendra Modi over the past three years, does not seem to have impacted India's decades long friendship with tried, time-tested and trusted ally, Russia (and former Soviet Union).
I will not forget that in the last major war that India had, which was the 1971 war with Pakistan over liberation of Bangladesh, it was the Soviet Union that came to India's rescue, when some Western nations tried to put some military pressure (through their naval vessels) on India as they were allied then with Pakistan. I was 9 years old then and the war did not really impact Bombay/Mumbai where I was living, except for fear of an air attack on Bombay/Mumbai from Pakistani air bases. That fear led to lot of precautions being taken including putting brown paper on the glass panes of windows of our fifth floor Railway quarters flat in Dadar, a central suburb of Mumbai, right next to the vital Railway tracks of Central Railway, to make it more difficult for enemy airplanes to spot lit areas of the city. I don't think any Pakistani enemy airplane made it to Bombay in that war. I came to know more details of that 1971 war much later as I grew up. But I do clearly recall that fear of Pakistani enemy airplane attacks on Bombay/Mumbai. I am not sure whether I realized then (but surely came to know later on) that Soviet Union/Russia was helping us in that war. I am grateful to Soviet Union/Russia for that help rendered.
[I thank Russian president Vladimir Putin (and indiatimes.com) and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from his/their articles on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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