The Hindu : Front Page : Prime Minister positive on two-day visit to Russia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 11, 2007
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Prime Minister positive on two-day visit to Russia

Says Moscow enjoys a special place in New Delhi’s foreign policy

MOSCOW: Amid the diplomatic chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set a positive tone ahead of his two-day visit, saying Russia enjoyed a “special and unique” place in India’s foreign policy and the “time-tested” relationship was based on “deep mutual trust.”

Dr. Singh, who arrives here on Sunday, in an interview to government agency RIA Novosti has expressed optimism on the future of the strategic partnership between the two countries. “Indo-Russian relations will grow to greater heights,” he said.

Media speculation

Some jarring notes and reported protocol breaches at this end had led to media speculation about the absence of bonhomie in bilateral ties in recent time.

“Not everything is smooth in the moods, but I would not give it any serious importance,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS earlier this week. His comments that the level of cooperation between Russia and India “is normal” also triggered different interpretation, one being a possible cooling of ties.

During External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit here last month, a customary meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin did not materialise and neither could he have a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

However, Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Lavrov did meet in Harbin in China last month on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India, China and Russia. The Russian side was also unable to schedule a meeting between visiting Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Mr. Putin. Officials from both sides sought to clear the air contending that nothing much should be read into this.

“The evolution of our relations will be based on the solid foundation of the last 60 years. I see a continuing convergence and similarity of our world views on major international issues,” Dr. Singh said.

Terming Russia India’s “most important partner” in defence cooperation, he said it was the only country with which “we have a formal mechanism of an Inter-Governmental Commission for military-technical cooperation, which meets annually under the chairmanship of the two Defence Ministers.”

“Russia occupies a special and unique place in India’s foreign relations. Our time-tested relationship is based on deep mutual trust and understanding,” he said. — PTI

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