India’s CEO and editor-in-chief at The Press Trust, Vijay Joshi, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Mr. President, as you are preparing to travel to India for the BRICS summit in September and the global community is watching the evolving dynamics between Moscow and New Delhi very closely. While this special and privileged strategic partnership remains the cornerstone for both nations, some observers say that India’s alignment with Washington creates structural frictions with Russia…. What steps can be taken to ensure that Russia-India ties remain resilient against external geopolitical pressures? And how would you describe Russia-India relations in this redrawn geopolitical landscape in your words?”
Putin opened his response: “You have described these relations yourself, and you characterized them accurately. As you noted, this is a special and privileged strategic partnership. Such a relationship was not built overnight, or over the course of a few years. It is the result of decades of cooperation. The Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with India in 1947 and consistently supported the development of the young state. We are happy to see that, thanks to the tireless work, talent, and determination of the Indian people, India has achieved remarkable success and made tremendous progress in its development.
“Everyone present here knows that India is currently demonstrating the highest economic growth rates among the world’s major economies. This doesn’t fall out of the sky; it is the result of consistent and purposeful efforts, above all by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country’s strong economic performance reflects the successful implementation of the policies and development strategies pursued under his leadership.”
