Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Indian community at a programme in Moscow. The PM said the India-Russia relationship is built on the strong pillar of mutual trust and respect. He praised India’s ties with Russia, calling Russia an “all-weather friend” and commending President Vladimir Putin for strengthening the relationship over the past two decades.
“On hearing the word Russia, the first word that comes to the mind of every Indian is India’s ‘sukh-dukh ka saathi’ (all-weather friend) and a trusted ally,” he said. “No matter how low the temperature dips below zero degrees during Russian winter, India-Russia friendship has always remained in ‘plus’ and been full of warmth.
Modi, on a two-day visit to Russia, his first since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, described India as a strong pillar in the “emerging multipolar world order.”
“When it speaks of peace, dialogue and diplomacy, then the whole world listens,” he said.
He spoke about strong cultural ties between India and Russia, pointing to the enduring popularity of Indian actors Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty in Russia.Recalling the popular Hindi song ‘Sar pe lal topi Rusi, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani’ featuring Raj Kapoor, he said its sentiments are still relevant today.
In his speech, PM Modi criticised the “influence-oriented global order” and stressed on the need for “confluence, not influence,” suggesting that India, with its tradition of embracing confluences, can deliver this message effectively.
The PM said that the strength of our (India-Russia) relationship has been tested many times and every time our friendship has emerged stronger. I would especially like to appreciate the leadership of my dear friend, President Putin. He has done a wonderful job strengthening this partnership for more than two decades. This is the sixth time I have come to Russia in the last 10 years and in these years we have met each other 17 times. All these meetings have increased trust and respect.
The PM said that this is his first conversation with the Indian diaspora after forming the government for the third time. He assured that he will work with three times more strength, at three times more speed. The government’s goal is to make India the third-largest economy in the world in the third term.
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