New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for the strengthening of India’s partnership with Russia, saying that the country supports all peaceful efforts to end the Ukraine crisis.In an online plenary session address to the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok and also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi said India has been emphasising the need to adopt the path of diplomacy and dialogue since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict.“We support all peaceful efforts to end this conflict,” the prime minister said.Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour’s military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.He also said Russia can become an important partner for the Indian steel industry through the supply of coking coal and there was scope for good cooperation in the mobility of talent.“Indian talent has contributed to the development of many developed regions of the world. I believe that the talent and professionalism of Indians can bring about rapid development in the Russian Far East,” he added.My remarks at the Plenary Session of 7th Eastern Economic Forum being held in Vladivostok. https://t.co/z3wM3ZPxNT— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 7, 2022Referring to India’s ancient doctrine “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, Modi said, “It has taught us to see the world as a family and in today’s globalised world, events in one part of the world create an impact on the whole world.”“The Ukraine conflict and the COVID pandemic have had a major impact on global supply chains. Shortages of food grains, fertilisers, and fuels are a major concern for developing countries. Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, we have stressed the need to take the path of diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.Calling for peaceful efforts to end the conflict, Modi said India also welcomes the recent agreement concerning the safe export of cereals and fertilisers.Recalling his participation at the forum summit physically in 2019, Modi said India had announced its ‘Act Far-East’ policy at that time and as a result of that, India’s cooperation with the Russian Far East has increased in various fields.“This policy has now become a key pillar of the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ between India and Russia,” he added.“This month itself, 30 years are being completed since the establishment of the Consulate of India in Vladivostok. India was the first country to open a consulate in this city. Since then, this city has been witness to many milestones in our relationship,” he added.Modi said that the forum, established in 2015, has become a major global forum for international cooperation in the development of the Russian Far East.“For this, I appreciate President Putin’s vision and also congratulate him,” he said.Talking about the International North-South Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor and the Northern Sea Route, Modi said, “Connectivity will play an important role in the development of our relations in the future.”“India is keen to strengthen its partnership with Russia on Arctic issues. There is also immense potential for cooperation in the field of energy. Along with energy, India has also made significant investments in the Russian Far East in the areas of pharma and diamonds,” he said.Organised by the Roscongress Foundation, the Eastern Economic Forum describes itself as a key international platform for establishing and strengthening ties within the Russian and global investment communities, and for comprehensive expert evaluation of the economic and investment potential of the Russian Far East.The forum was established by the decree of President Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.Russia has not lost anything over actions in Ukraine: PutinRussian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia had not lost anything as a result of its military campaign in Ukraine. He said all Russia’s actions were designed to strengthen the country’s sovereignty and were aimed at “helping people” living in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.“We have not lost anything and will not lose anything,” Putin said. “In terms of what we have gained, I can say that the main gain has been the strengthening of our sovereignty.”Putin conceded, however, that Moscow’s decision to send troops into Ukraine had created a “certain polarisation, both in the world and within the country.”Western countries have dismissed Russia’s claims as an attempt to justify a land grab.Moscow’s military intervention prompted a flurry of sanctions from the West, sending prices for food and energy soaring.Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech at the plenary session of the 2022 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia September 7, 2022. Photo: Sergey Bobylev/TASS Host Photo Agency/Handout via ReutersOn the West’s sanctions, Putin said, “Other challenges of a global nature that threaten the whole world have replaced the pandemic. I am speaking of the West’s sanctions fever, with its brazen, aggressive attempt to impose models of behaviour on other countries, to deprive them of their sovereignty and subordinate them to their will. There is nothing unusual in this. This is the policy that the West has collectively pursued for decades.”“Western countries are striving to maintain a former world order that is beneficial only to them, to force everyone to live according to the infamous rules that they themselves invented and regularly violate, rules they are constantly changing for themselves depending on the current circumstances,” he said,(With agency inputs)
